Recover
by Willowsnake
Summary: Joey went missing first. Then it was Seto. Nearly a year has passed since they disappeared. Now, with Pegasus and Zigfried joining forces to claim Kaiba Corp., things take a turn for the worst. Mokuba, desperate to save the company's name, sets up a Tag-Team Duel Monsters Tournament where the winners get Kaiba Corp. But the return of two unexpected individuals causes quite a stir.
1. Chapter 1 - Ahead of the Game

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Summary:** Joey went missing first. Then it was Seto. Nearly a year has passed since they disappeared. Now, with Pegasus and Zigfried joining forces to claim Kaiba Corp., things take a turn for the worst. Mokuba, desperate to save the company's name, sets up a Tag-Team Duel Monsters Tournament where the winners get Kaiba Corp. But the return of two unexpected individuals causes quite a stir.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Mokuba fiddled with the tie around his neck. It felt more like a noose. He'd gotten a call at five that morning, his board of directors calling an emergency meeting. For what? He didn't know. What _did_ he know? He was only thirteen.

Sighing to himself, he fiddled with the tie once more, hoping that he looked at least somewhat presentable before heading into the conference room. The board members were already seated, staring at him as he entered, with their hard gazes boring into his small figure.

As he seated himself in a chair between them, he put on as stoic a face as he could muster. "What's this about? I have a company to run."

"That's what we're here to discuss with you," said Masashi. "Kaiba Corp. is losing more money than it's making. We're no longer at the top of the gaming industry."

"I know things have been hard since your brother's…disappearance," continued Hisao. "And you've done well to live up to his name. However, we believe that your running of the company is out of your hands, so to speak."

"You mean to say I'm _incapable_ of running the company," Mokuba ground out, swallowing hard. He could feel his throat tightening as panic began to seize him.

"We're not saying you're incapable—"

"I think we are," interrupted Kaede, his brow wrinkling in agitation. "Mr. Kaiba, you are young. So was your brother when he ran this company, but he was at least _motivated _in keeping it alive. You have done nothing but skate by and all of us have suffered for it!"

Mokuba clenched his fists. Perhaps Kaede was right. He hadn't really been motivated enough to keep the company going. The loss of his brother had plagued his thoughts too much. But he'd done his best. "I've worked hard for this company."

"Hard? You don't know the meaning of the word," snapped Kaede.

"Now, Kaede," warned Masashi.

"No. He needs to hear this," Kaede retorted. "Mr. Kaiba, when's the last time you came up with an original idea for the company?"

"…I haven't."

"And when's the last time you've sought out investors, business partners, or anyone to keep this company going? Or anything for the interests of our customers?"

"…"

"In a year's time we have yet to put out anything new. We've done nothing. Our competitors have overtaken us drastically and all you can do is sit there and take it. Are you proud of yourself? Are you proud of letting your brother's dreams turn to ashes?"

"Kaede!" scolded Hisao. "That's enough!" Kaede grumbled to himself before crossing his arms and turning his gaze toward the window.

Mokuba unclenched his fists, closing his eyes as the world seemed to pass by him in a blur. He'd failed. Not only had he failed himself, but the company, his employees…his brother. What would Seto say to him if he was here?

"Mr. Kaiba," started Masashi slowly, "we've received a joint offer from Maximillion Pegasus and Zigfried von Schroeder. They would like to jointly own Kaiba Corp. The offer, I must say, would have you living comfortably for the rest of your life. But, of course, it is ultimately your decision. Nothing is set in stone."

"However, if that decision isn't what's best for the company, you can expect to be relieved of your duties. That isn't set in stone either," stated Kaede, his expression cold.

Hisao sighed. "We'll leave you to your thoughts," he said. He and the other board members rose to their feet and left the conference room.

Mokuba leaned backward in his chair, his mind racing a mile a minute.

* * *

**_Flashback_**

_Mokuba had a hard time grasping what was going on. He'd been waiting outside Seto's office when Yugi had shown up, his face pale and stricken with worry. Yugi had told him that Joey was missing. He'd just upped and vanished. No note, no phone call, not a word. He was just gone._

_Then Yugi had entered Seto's office. And it had probably been to inform his brother of Joey's disappearance. Yugi hadn't been in Seto's office for more than a minute before his brother started screaming at Yugi. It had sounded as if Seto had completely lost his mind. Had he been upset about Joey's disappearance?_

_But now, as he stood outside of his brother's room, he wasn't so sure. Ever since that day Yugi showed up at Seto's office, his brother had kept more to himself. He didn't even see him anymore. Seto wouldn't see him when he was at work and by the time he came home, Mokuba was already in bed._

_And he just continued to stand outside his brother's door. Should he knock? Should he just enter? Or should he just leave his brother alone?_

_Even though thoughts of Seto additionally missing meetings and press conferences worried him, the thought of what was wrong with his brother upset him the most. He didn't know what was going on. And he feared that confronting his brother would just make things worse._

_So he continued to stand outside the door, waiting—hoping—that Seto would come out and things would get back to normal. _

**_End Flashback_**

* * *

"But things never got back to normal," Mokuba said aloud. He loosened the tie around his neck and pulled it off, shoving the troublesome material into his jacket pocket. Rising to his feet, he headed for the door. But whispers from the men he'd had his meeting with reached his ears.

So he stood in front of the door and listened.

"It's a shame what's happened to the poor boy," he heard Masashi say. "He's been through so much. What is he? Thirteen?"

"Yes," said Hisao. "It was just too much for him, I suppose."

"We should have done something sooner," stated Kaede. "We should have done something in the beginning. Maybe we relied too much on the idea that he'd be like his brother."

"Hm…we were definitely wrong there," Hisao replied.

"The kid's smart," continued Masashi, "but he's no Seto Kaiba."

Finally, the voices faded, which was a relief to Mokuba. He didn't feel he could take anymore. He knew he wasn't his brother, but that didn't make him any less a Kaiba.

Sniffing, he fought back the tears that threatened to fall. After all, Kaibas didn't cry.

* * *

**_Flashback_**

_Seto was gone now, too. First Joey, now Seto. What had it been? A month since Joey had disappeared? And now it was his brother._

_"I know this is hard for you," said Masashi, one of the directors of the board. "But we need someone to run the company since your brother is—"_

_"—gone," Mokuba finished as he attempted to keep his face blank._

_"Yes," Masashi replied slowly. "Your brother hasn't been working for nearly a month and the losses for the company have already begun. We have elected you as the new head of the company."_

_"I understand," Mokuba said as he fought back tears. He needed to be strong, emotionless, cold. Like his brother. _

_Masashi smiled at him. "Good, good. We expect great things from you, Mr. Kaiba. Great things."_

_Mr. Kaiba. That wasn't him. That was his brother. But his brother was gone. And he was probably never coming back. Why would he? He hadn't left him a word of any sort. If he was coming back, wouldn't he have said something to him? Anything?_

_Taking a deep breath, he held his head high. The tears that had threatened to fall were gone. Kaibas didn't cry._

_But they sure did feel alone._

**_End Flashback_**

* * *

Mokuba rubbed his face a few times before leaving the conference room, hoping to push away any dismal thoughts from his mind.

It didn't work.

He began to wonder how Seto had been able to do such great things for the company. Or just in general. Even when he was younger than him! Sure, Mokuba was thirteen now, but he was nowhere _near_ his brother's capabilities.

Had he really underestimated all the work his brother had done? Had he even taken him for granted? Had his brother left because no one appreciated him enough? Including him? Had he somehow made Seto think he didn't love him? Care for him? Had he sent his brother that message in some way?

But it wasn't true! None of it was true! He loved his brother! He cherished him! If only Seto could be there so that he could tell him that!

"Seto," Mokuba cried softly, "I love you so much. I miss you. I can't do this by myself!"

Finally—_finally_—the tears fell. He couldn't take it anymore. He was alone, under too much pressure to meet up to everyone's expectations, and couldn't handle this on his own.

He wasn't Seto Kaiba. He was Mokuba. Just plain Mokuba. A thirteen-year-old boy who desperately wanted to run into his brother's strong arms and feel safe again.

But there were no strong arms to run into. There was no embrace that would make him feel safe. There wasn't even a voice that would tell him everything would be all right.

Because Seto wasn't here.

Crossing his arms, Mokuba hurriedly left Kaiba Corp., his mind racing a mile a minute. Even if Seto wasn't here, he had to do what was best for his brother's memory; he had to save the company his brother had worked so hard for somehow, especially for Pegasus and Zigfried. But what could he do?

* * *

Mokuba plopped down on the flimsy bed of the motel room he was staying in. He'd been there ever since he'd lost the mansion a few months ago. He'd had to pay for things in the company somehow. The mansion was the biggest asset he'd had. And with that gone, all he had were a few sentimental possessions in his motel room.

He took a deep breath and contemplated the situation Kaiba Corp. was in. There was no way he'd give up the company to the likes of Pegasus and Zigfried. He had to find another way to save the company. What would his brother have done in such a situation?

Slowly, an idea started to hatch in his brain. A small smile began to grace his features. To be honest, he couldn't remember the last time he'd smiled. It must have been awhile; his face was starting to hurt.

And as his idea came full circle, he reached for the phone. He needed to call an emergency meeting with his board of directors.

* * *

Sitting confidently and poised at the head of the conference room, Mokuba drummed his fingers on the table as he waited patiently for his board of directors to seat themselves around him. Once they were seated, Kaede immediately spoke up.

"What's this about?" he demanded. "Have you made a decision after all?"

Mokuba allowed himself to smirk. "I've made a decision, but not one you might have anticipated."

A vein in Kaede's forehead began to bulge in anger. "Look here—"

"Mr. Kaede," Mokuba interrupted, "even though I was elected into this position, you still need to respect me and the decisions I make. I understand the situation this company is in. Whether I like it or not, it is my fault and I take full responsibility for it. But that doesn't mean I can't do what's best for the company even now."

Masashi cleared his throat. "What did you decide?"

"I'm aware that I may not have been what was best for the company and that all of you feel you made a poor decision in electing me to run it. And I won't let that happen again. I will not accept the offer made by Pegasus and Zigfried. I have something else in mind."

"Oh?" started Hisao, his interest in what Mokuba had to say piquing.

Mokuba smirked again. "Kaiba Corp. will host a Tag-Team Duel Monsters Tournament within the next week. Duelists will have to sign up in pairs in order to compete. The winning team will receive Kaiba Corp. since duelists—or anyone interested in gaming, really—may know what's best for the company. This tournament would also draw in sponsors, fans, and other recognition within Domino and abroad.

"However, there will be some stipulations. Even though duels will be a determining factor in the winner, we need something more than just dueling skills. That is why I'm requiring that each team develop a proposal for how they would move the company forward. This includes coming up with fresh ideas for the company, such as new cards, a new gaming system—you get the idea.

"These proposals and ideas will be reviewed by you—the board of directors—myself, the fans, and the other duelists involved. And regardless of who wins, everyone who has pitched ideas for the company—ideas that have been approved—may invest in the company to really jumpstart it, throwing Kaiba Corp. back to the top of the gaming industry."

When Mokuba finished speaking, excited chatter erupted amongst the board members. Even Kaede looked pleased with the idea.

"We accept this proposition," announced Masashi, a smile on his face. "But I am curious. What's in it for you? I'm honestly surprised you would go to these lengths."

"I don't want to see what my brother worked so hard for end up in ruins. If anyone should run Kaiba Corp., it should be someone worthy," he replied.

* * *

Mokuba took a deep breath. The press conference was about to begin. He could already feel the cameras on him. He would be televised nationwide. And he could only hope this would really be for the best.

Suddenly, he was given the green light.

"I know many of you are curious as to why I've called this press conference so suddenly. And I know great things haven't come from Kaiba Corp. in some time. That is why I will be stepping down as head of the company," Mokuba started.

Immediately, the whispers began rippling throughout the crowd.

"That doesn't mean I'm stepping down quietly. So I've decided to have Kaiba Corp. host a Tag-Team Duel Monsters Tournament. The winning team will then jointly own the company and they will hopefully bring great things to people around the world.

"However, there is a catch," Mokuba continued. "Many people can duel and win, but it takes motivation, ingenuity, and a creative mind to keep a company like this going. That's why—as a stipulation for the tournament—each team is required to present a proposal for how they would move the company forward and a prototype for what products we might hope to see in the future brought on by the company."

Mokuba could feel the crowd's excitement by this news. The volume of their voices began to rise.

"Teams must sign up by the official start date, which takes place a week from now. You may sign up at the front desk of Kaiba Corp. or access the company's website and enter online. Once you enter, specific instructions for the tournament will be given to you. Thank you all for listening. You may start signing up…now!"

People started scrambling in random directions. Camera crews bolted for the inside of Kaiba Corp., hoping to catch footage of big name duelists signing up for the local news later on.

And as everyone slowly left the area, Mokuba sighed to himself. He really hoped he was doing the right thing. Now all he had to do was talk to Yugi. Then everything would go according to plan.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	2. Chapter 2 - Believe In

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 2**

_"I know many of you are curious as to why I've called this press conference so suddenly. And I know great things haven't come from Kaiba Corp. in some time. That is why I will be stepping down as head of the company," Mokuba stated. "That doesn't mean I'm stepping down quietly. So I've decided to have Kaiba Corp. host a Tag-Team Duel Monsters Tournament. The winning team will then jointly own the company and they will hopefully bring great things to people around the world._

_"However, there is a catch. Many people can duel and win, but it takes motivation, ingenuity, and a creative mind to keep a company like this going. That's why—as a stipulation for the tournament—each team is required to present a proposal for how they would move the company forward and a prototype for what products we might hope to see in the future brought on by the company._

_"Teams must sign up by the official start date, which takes place a week from now. You may sign up at the front desk of Kaiba Corp. or access the company's website and enter online. Once you enter, specific instructions for the tournament will be given to you. Thank you all for listening. You may start signing up…now!"_

* * *

Joey stood nearly ankle deep in slush outside of an electronics store in a very small town he still didn't know the name of. Although the air was still icy and the ground squelched beneath his feet, he ignored all that as he continued to stare at the television screen in the window. The announcement was over, but he was still trying to wrap his head around what he'd just seen.

Tightening his grip on the small paper bag of groceries he held in one arm, his thoughts focused on Mokuba's announcement. He was, to be honest, quite surprised that things were going so poorly back in Domino. But what he really couldn't get over was how much Mokuba had grown in—what was it now—a year? It occurred to him just how much things had really changed.

Then another thought occurred to him. He'd have to tell Seto what he'd just seen. He felt his stomach drop at that. Joey wasn't sure what that might do to him. Would it bring up too many bad memories? Or would the good ones outweigh those?

Sighing to himself, he began to wonder if, perhaps, he and Seto shouldn't have left the way they did. But at the time, it really had been for the best. Of that he was sure.

* * *

**_Flashback_**

_Joey stormed through the halls of Kaiba Corp. as if he owned the place. He had a bone to pick with Kaiba, and so help him, if he felt the urge to hit him, he'd go ahead and do it. Because right now, he was beyond pissed. _

_Sure, Kaiba had been mean to him before, but this time he'd been outright brutal. To say that he didn't deserve to live had hit him like no other insult ever had. Not even the blows from his old man's fists hurt that much._

_Bursting into Kaiba's office, Joey slammed the door shut behind him. Kaiba didn't even flinch._

_"What the hell is the matter with ya?" Joey roared. "Ya do nothin' but dish out crap to people! And I can only take so much of your bullshit! What ya said today was way outta line!"_

_Kaiba remained silent as Joey continued to rage._

_"Do ya really hate me that much? Does my sorry existence offend ya? Huh? Does it? Well, then maybe you're the one who doesn't deserve to live!" Joey immediately covered his mouth with his hands. He hadn't meant to say that. And he regretted his words instantly. _

_Cringing, eyes shut, he waited for Kaiba to lunge at him, punch him, anything. But nothing happened. Hesitating a bit, Joey opened one eye and noticed that Kaiba remained seated in his chair._

_"Maybe I am," Kaiba said, his voice barely above a whisper._

_Joey paused. "Huh?"_

_"Maybe I really don't deserve to live."_

_"I don't…what?" When Joey didn't receive a response, he tried a different tactic. "I insulted ya just now. Why ain't ya jumpin' over your desk and stranglin' me or somethin'?"_

_"Why indeed…" he scoffed as his voice trailed off._

_"I didn't mean what I said about ya not deservin' to live," Joey started quietly. But Kaiba said no more and it was really starting to irk him. "Would ya say somethin' already and stop actin' like a statue?"_

_"Just go away."_

_"No! Not until ya tell me why you're not gettin' pissed at me right now!"_

_"Leave me alone."_

_"Normally, ya would've yanked me by the collar by now. What the heck is—"_

_"I can't move!" Kaiba spat. "…it hurts too much."_

_Joey nearly flinched at the pain he heard in Kaiba's voice. Swallowing hard, he stepped closer so that he could see him better. Kaiba sat rigidly in his chair—as if he was afraid to move—with his hands gripping the arms so tightly, his knuckles were white._

_Not knowing what to do, Joey asked the only question that came to mind. "Where does it hurt?"_

_"Everywhere," Kaiba exhaled sharply before his breathing began to quicken. "It hurts everywhere and I can't make it stop. It won't stop. Why won't it stop?"_

_Joey slowly began to panic. This was not the Kaiba he knew. The Kaiba he knew was strong, dominating, invincible. Not this. He had never seen him lose his proud demeanor before. And frankly, it unnerved him deeply._

_"Kaiba, snap out of it," Joey said hurriedly as he noticed the clarity in Kaiba's eyes leaving him. He rolled Kaiba's chair backward and stared at him. "Look at me." Stricken blue eyes met startled brown. "What's goin' on with ya?"_

_"I hurt all the time. All of the time. And it's __**his **__fault!" Kaiba roared as he tried to thrust himself from his chair. But he tripped over it and landed on the floor, the chair rolling away from him a good two feet. "It's __**his**__ fault!"_

_Joey made to help Kaiba up, but his hands were slapped away. Perhaps getting him to talk would be better. "Who's fault?"_

_"Gozaburo's!" Kaiba snapped. His tone indicated that what he was speaking about was obvious. It made Joey doubt if Kaiba knew he was talking to him. Kaiba then blindly reached for the chair, but he didn't seem to have the strength to pull himself back up. "He beat me all the time. I have scars. So many scars. They hurt all the time. Why do they __**hurt**__ all the time?"_

_Joey's eyes widened. He wasn't expecting this. "Kaiba, maybe we should—"_

_"I can't sleep," Kaiba continued, ignoring Joey. "If it's not the pain, then it's the nightmares. And when it's not nightmares, it's work. Do this. Do that. We need this. We need that. All the time! And the pain won't go away!"_

_Kaiba made to get up again. This time he succeeded, but barely. He stiffly walked toward his desk and placed his hands on its surface. Kaiba stood there for a moment before he pushed everything off of it; papers and pens scattered across the floor. And with the last of his strength, he managed to push the desk over as well. Then he collapsed back into a sitting position on the floor, breathing heavily._

_Both of them remained in silence for a few minutes, Joey not knowing what to do and Kaiba looking completely drained._

_"Help me," Kaiba said desperately. The pain in his eyes was so evident, Joey wasn't sure he could say no. "I can't do things by myself anymore. I can't…"_

_When Joey finally found his voice, he said, "Ya mean like…take care of ya?" Because that's what it was sounding like. But how could he do that when he had enough problems back home? How could he help Kaiba through this ordeal if he was handling his own abuse back at home? _

_But it seemed like Kaiba's traumatic past had finally caught up with him. And it was affecting him in ways Joey could only imagine._

_"Take care of me?" Kaiba echoed. He seemed to struggle with his answer for a minute, as if he was unsure what the question meant. "Yes," he said finally._

_"Okay," Joey replied. He wasn't sure what he'd just agreed to. "Does Mokuba know you're—"_

_"No!" Kaiba shouted, eyes widening. "Mokuba can't know! No one can know! Only you! Don't tell anyone! Not anyone!"_

_"Okay, okay!"_

_"You have to stay with me! Don't leave me alone! Stay! I can't do this! I can't do this!"_

_Knowing full well that Kaiba might be on the verge of a mental breakdown, Joey rushed toward his side and tried to calm him down. "Okay. I'm not goin' anywhere. I'll stay. I'll stay."_

_"Yes. Stay. Don't go. Never go."_

_Joey sat on the floor next to Kaiba, trying to get him to breathe normally again. With that, his thoughts drifted to the opportunity that had just arisen. _

_This was his chance to escape his own problems. His father had been more abusive toward him lately. And if how Kaiba was acting was something to be expected in his own future from the prolonged abuse he suffered, he didn't want it. Then there was the situation with those gang members who had been looking for money from him because of his father's debts. Who knew what they'd do to him if he couldn't pay up._

_Joey looked back at Kaiba. Years of abuse from Gozaburo had done this to him? How bad had it been? Did he really want to know? Did he want to suffer this fate as well? Could something like this ever happen to __**him**__?_

_He weighed the pros and cons._

_And he decided to look after Kaiba. He wouldn't leave him. By doing this—by cutting off his ties for awhile—his father would forget about him and those gang members would think his old man had finally killed him. It would only be for awhile. Just until he could have a normal life. _

_And until Kaiba was okay._

**_End Flashback_**

* * *

But life had been far from normal. And Joey had learned many things. He'd learned that Seto had good days, bad days, and really bad days. He'd learned that Seto's abuse had been so extensive that he suffered from scar tissue pain, aching joints, and nightmares.

When Seto had been more lucid, he'd revealed that the nerves around his body had been compressed by his scar tissue. The severity of the pain depended on how badly the nerve was compressed. Some areas of his body were under constant pain because some nerves were under constant pressure. But with some scars, Seto only felt the pain occasionally.

And with his joints, Seto had claimed that Gozaburo had hit them so hard at times, they'd left bone bruises. If or whenever it got cold, his joints would ache in memory of that pain.

Somehow the nightmares were the worst part. Seto would sometimes go days without sleep. When his eyes drifted closed, flashes of Gozaburo starving him, hurting him, torturing him, would make him relive those moments over and over again. Sleep would therefore elude him. In some crazy way, his sleep-deprived state saved him from reliving the most horrid moments of his life.

But that was no way to live.

And on his really bad days, simple tasks such as sitting, walking, or even standing caused him constant, excruciating pain. When the pain arose due to the scar tissue putting pressure on his adjoining muscles, he would even have weaknesses in those areas of his body.

It was a lot to deal with. Stress made it worse. A lot worse. And so did the cold.

Joey hadn't realized how lost in his thoughts he'd been, because before he knew it, he was standing in front of the small cabin in the woods they'd been living in on the outskirts of town. Steeling himself, he opened the door.

It was deathly quiet in the cabin, most likely due to Seto still being asleep. Joey busied himself with putting away the groceries and making sure the fire was burning brightly in the fireplace. He dreaded having to wake Seto. He became quite lethargic in winter, but sleeping helped him deal with the stiffness that arose in his body. And it helped to stay warm.

Joey slowly headed for the bedroom. As he peaked inside, he noticed that Seto was deep under the covers, sound asleep. Strands of his hair, which had grown a little longer and needed only a slight trim, hid his eyes. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he watched Seto sleep. It really had been a lot to deal with. But the worst of it had been when all that pain had affected Seto's mind.

* * *

**_Flashback_**

_It had been about a month since Joey started taking care of Kaiba. And in that time, Kaiba had only gotten worse. Joey wasn't sure what to do anymore, let alone keeping Kaiba's condition a secret. _

_Kaiba couldn't handle the life he was living anymore. The stress from work—the pain in his body—had finally caught up with him. But this time, Joey wasn't sure he'd be able to save Kaiba. Winter had arrived and the freezing temperatures had made Kaiba's body throb to the point it nearly drove him insane. Or maybe it had. _

_And as Joey watched Kaiba stare blankly out of his office window, he knew he had to do something now. Or else Kaiba wouldn't survive this._

_"Kaiba?" he started slowly._

_"Call me Seto now," he sighed after a moment's pause. "Seto."_

_"Okay. Seto," Joey reiterated. "I think ya need to leave here for awhile. Get some time away, ya know? A break from everythin' for a bit before comin' back."_

_"A break?"_

_"Yeah, a break."_

_"No more work?"_

_"No. No more work," Joey replied. It nearly killed him to watch Kaiba work so hard for so little recognition in return. Kaiba might be a big shot, but people still took advantage of his abilities._

_"I think I'd like that," said Kaiba, but his form still remained unyielding._

_"Good." Joey found himself smiling a little. _

_"You'll stay with me?"_

_"Yeah. But we should probably let Mokuba know—"_

_"No!"_

_Joey shrank back. That had been the wrong thing to say._

_Kaiba rose from where he was sitting and rounded on Joey, looking murderous. "He can't know! I will not let him see me like this!"_

_Joey knew he shouldn't push buttons, but this was __**Mokuba**__ they were talking about. "But he loves ya. Ya can't just up and leave without tellin' him anythin'."_

_CRASH!_

_"Kaiba!"_

_CRASH!_

_"Kaiba, stop!" Joey yelled, but Kaiba wouldn't listen. He started trashing his office. And he didn't leave anything unbroken._

_When Kaiba finally collapsed on the floor in an unresponsive heap, Joey surveyed the damage. Anything that had been glass now lay shattered on the floor, all furniture had been upturned, papers were scattered across the floor, and nothing had been untouched. Kaiba was finally at the point of his mental breakdown. _

_And Joey was glad Mokuba was not here to witness it. Perhaps it was best that Mokuba never know. He had to take Kaiba…and leave._

_Slowly, Joey knelt in front of him and spoke as gently as he could. "I'm gonna take ya away now, okay?"_

_Kaiba just nodded as he stared blankly at the floor. _

_"We won't tell Mokuba."_

_Kaiba raised his head. "Promise?" he muttered, his eyes glazed over._

_What was he doing? "I promise."_

_Kaiba nodded again. "He can't see me. I want to leave. Disappear. He'll be fine," he convinced himself._

**_End Flashback_**

* * *

Joey sighed as he continued to stare at Seto's sleeping form. Taking him away had been for the best. His past trauma had left him so damaged that it had taken months just to get him to sleep regularly. And even though Seto had gotten better—a lot better—he had still refused to contact Mokuba. Seto really believed that Mokuba was better off without him.

Back then, that had probably been true. But not now.

"Come on, Seto. Wake up," said Joey as he gently shook him.

"No," came a muffled reply as Seto pulled the blankets over his head.

"Get up."

"Go away."

"It's already after one."

"…in the morning?"

Joey pinched the bridge of his nose. Why did Seto have to be so stupid when he was being woken? "In the afternoon."

"But it's still dark," he yawned.

"That's because ya got the covers over your head, ya idiot."

Joey heard Seto grumble under the covers before pulling them off his head. "Why do I have to get up? I'm comfortable, warm, and I have nothing better to do today."

Quickly averting his eyes, Joey looked out the window so he could watch the melting snow drip from the branches of the trees. Now that Seto had his attention, he wasn't sure how to begin.

At the sight of Joey's uneasy behavior, Seto immediately sat up in the bed. "What's wrong?"

"Uh, I don't know how to start."

"How about the beginning?"

"Don't be a smartass!" Joey snapped. "I kinda saw an announcement on one of the T.V.s outside that electronics store."

"Okay," Seto replied unsurely. That wasn't anything unusual. For the past year, they'd been pretty much living without certain technologies, such as televisions, cell phones, laptops, etc. So it wasn't unusual for Seto to hear about what Joey might have seen on some T.V. But this time seemed different.

"It was Mokuba," continued Joey.

"Mokuba?"

"Yeah. He was givin' an announcement."

Seto felt a pain in his chest. He missed his brother so much. "How…did he look?"

"He's a bit taller now, I guess. But he looked really tired and…"

"And what?" Seto didn't like the look Joey was giving him.

"He's steppin' down from runnin' Kaiba Corp."

"What?" Seto appeared shocked. Why would Mokuba do such a thing?

"It seems kinda weird, though. I'm not sure it's by choice or not. He said somethin' about Kaiba Corp. not puttin' out anythin' new. And he said they're havin' a tournament to decide who's gonna run Kaiba Corp." Joey wasn't sure if he should continue since Seto started staring down at the bed.

"Was there anything else?" Seto asked.

"Uh, well, the tournament is a tag-team thing. And I guess anyone can register. Then Mokuba said somethin' about a stipu…no, a stripu—"

"—a stipulation?"

"Yeah! That's the word!"

"What was the stipulation?"

"He said that each team has to give a proposal for how they would make Kaiba Corp. better or somethin' and create a prototype for products for the company. Or somethin' like that. Oh! And since it's a tag-team tournament, the winnin' tag-team gets to jointly own Kaiba Corp. or somethin'."

"Did you say enough 'or somethin's' in that?" replied Seto.

Joey paused. He came to realize that whenever Seto made those sorts of remarks, it meant he was processing the information and coming up with a decision.

Seto wasn't sure how to take in this information, exactly. But it astounded him that Mokuba would give up the company so easily. Perhaps leaving Mokuba without telling him why hadn't been the best idea after all. He and Joey had been living out in the middle of nowhere, with hardly any technology, so it wasn't like they'd kept tabs on anyone.

Now he wished he'd had.

And something was telling him that he needed to go to Mokuba. He knew he'd made a mistake in leaving the way he did—and he'd made it even worse by dragging Joey into his mess—but he was better now. And if he decided to do what he was thinking as of this moment, everything would change.

"Let's go back," said Seto suddenly.

Joey's head shot up to look at him. "Huh? Ya mean back to Domino?"

"Yes," he replied. "We're going back to Domino."

"Ya sure?"

"Yes. And we're entering the tournament together."

Joey's eyes actually lit up. "Really? Wait! Why?"

At this, Seto chuckled. It was a deep, rich laugh, unlike the ones he'd done back in Domino as the domineering presence that was Kaiba. "It's time I set things right. That includes with you and Mokuba."

"Me?" Joey asked, looking confused. "But ya didn't do anythin' wrong to me."

"Yes, I did. Don't let me off so easily. I took you away from everything you knew and dragged you into the hell I was in."

"I chose to do that, though," Joey replied quietly. "I wanted to help ya."

"I know that, too. It was still wrong of me. I stole a year of your life."

"No, ya didn't. And I wouldn't change a thing."

"Hm…"

* * *

**_Flashback_**

_Too many thoughts swirled through Kaiba's mind as Joey drove them away from Domino in some beat-up used car. Joey said it wouldn't draw attention to them. And he trusted everything Joey said right now. He didn't trust himself to make a decision, because then that would lead to more pain._

_But before he completely put all of his trust into Joey, he'd had enough sense left to ensure that they could survive in whatever situation they might find themselves in. So he'd told Joey about the private account he held in his old name—the name he had before his adoption. He told Joey that those funds would help him take care of him. And if Joey got tired of doing that, he could just take his money and leave._

_However, Joey had said he would never leave him; he'd take care of him because he'd promised he would. That subtle thought actually made him happy._

_Seto knew that he needed help. And he knew he was of no use to anyone in the state he was in now. By pushing everyone and everything away, it had somehow made things easier. But he couldn't push Joey away. He didn't know why; he just couldn't. _

_But he'd done it to Mokuba. He felt he'd already abandoned him, so leaving him without saying a word seemed right. It would be easier on Mokuba and himself if he just left. Mokuba would be fine on his own._

**_End Flashback_**

* * *

And those were the words that haunted him the most. Mokuba would be fine on his own. Those words had convinced him that—no matter what—Mokuba would always be fine. But that didn't seem to be the case now.

Seto threw the covers off himself and stood, heading for the closet. He pulled out a duffel bag and started shoving things into it.

"We're really goin'?" Joey started as he got up from the bed.

"We're really going."

"Yes!" Joey cried as he lunged at Seto and gave him a hug. "We should probably cut your hair first, though. It's a bit shaggy."

"I like it like this," replied Seto, running his hand through his hair for effect. "And it's not that shaggy."

"If ya say so," Joey sighed. "So we're really gonna enter the tournament, too?"

"Yes."

"Are ya sure you're ready for this?" asked Joey, looking concerned.

"If you're there alongside me, I will be. Things are different this time and I won't do this without you. I can't."

"Sometimes I think ya depend on me too much," he replied sadly.

"Maybe I do," Seto added, "but no more than you depend on me, also."

"Heh, ya might be right about that. But I have another question."

"Hm?"

"Why can't ya just—I dunno—take over Kaiba Corp. when we get back to Domino? Isn't it still your company?"

Seto shook his head. "The board of directors more than likely elected Mokuba as the new head of the company. And with the state we left my office in," he said, his mind flashing back to that moment, "they probably presumed I was dead. I have no standing anymore."

"You're at the bottom of the food chain then?"

"In a way, yes. That's why we'll have to duel."

"Okay. So are ya ready to reclaim your throne?" Joey inquired with a smile.

"That's not the only thing I'm hoping to reclaim," he answered, a sad look in his eyes. Joey knew what that meant, for he knew he had to do the same.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	3. Chapter 3 - Blind Ambition

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 3**

_"Why can't ya just—I dunno—take over Kaiba Corp. when we get back to Domino? Isn't it still your company?" asked Joey._

_Seto shook his head. "The board of directors more than likely elected Mokuba as the new head of the company. And with the state we left my office in," he said, his mind flashing back to that moment, "they probably presumed I was dead. I have no standing anymore."_

_"You're at the bottom of the food chain then?"_

_"In a way, yes. That's why we'll have to duel."_

_"Okay. So are ya ready to reclaim your throne?" Joey inquired with a smile._

_"That's not the only thing I'm hoping to reclaim," he answered, a sad look in his eyes. Joey knew what that meant, for he knew he had to do the same._

* * *

Mokuba paused in front of the Turtle Game Shop, growing even more hesitant by the second. Uncertainty wasn't in his nature, but he seemed to fall back on it more and more as of late. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm his nerves before entering the shop.

"Mokuba!" greeted Yugi enthusiastically as he raced over to him. "It's good to see you!"

"Hi, Yugi," he replied without the enthusiasm, but he did offer a smile in return. "Is Yami here, too?"

"Yes! He's in the back. Yami!" Yugi called out. A few seconds later, Yami headed into the main part of the shop. "Mokuba's here!"

"So I see," said Yami. He held out his hand to Mokuba, who took it in his own and shook it firmly. "It's a pleasure seeing you. And I must say, I think you're a little taller than Yugi now."

"Hey!" Yugi retorted.

Yami chuckled in response. "So what brings you here? Don't you have a tournament to run?"

"So you know?" Mokuba replied.

"Yeah! We saw the whole announcement! And it just seems so exciting!" Yugi exclaimed.

"That it does," Yami continued. "But I must ask, why are you stepping down?"

Mokuba sighed and felt all the energy he had left leave his body. "I had to do something. The board of directors were about to close on a deal selling the company to Pegasus and Zigfried. But I couldn't let that happen. So I did this. And I wanted to ask for your help. I don't have anyone else."

Yami stared at him for a few minutes before responding. "We miss them, too, Mokuba," he started slowly. "Joey and Kaiba disappearing has been hard on all of us. And I know you're doing this tournament to save face for your brother's sake; I know you're doing this for him. Which is why Yugi and I have already decided to enter the tournament. We've registered already. And we really want to help you…since it seems we couldn't help…them."

Mokuba released the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Thank you. Thank you so much. I didn't know what else to do. There's no one else to turn to. I can't do this by myself. I never wanted to do this in the first place!"

Yugi walked over to Mokuba and hugged him. "It's okay, Mokuba. We'll do whatever it takes to help you save Kaiba Corp. We won't let it fall into the wrong hands. We'll get through this together."

It was strange being held this way, in Yugi's embrace. He hadn't felt comforted in such a long time. It made him feel like everything would work out for the best after all.

Sniffing and rubbing his eyes, Mokuba cleared his throat. "Thank you. I really don't know where I'd be right now if you two weren't here."

"Let me ask you something," began Yami. "Are things really that bad at Kaiba Corp.?"

Mokuba nodded. "No one thinks I can do anything. And I've been so absorbed in…Seto's disappearance that I've neglected my duties at Kaiba Corp. The losses have been so bad that I had to give up the mansion just to make ends meet."

"Where have you been living?" Yugi inquired.

At this, Mokuba hesitated. "I've…been staying at a small motel near the edge of town. It's all I can afford right now. That's how hard of a hit the company took. I kind of sacrificed my salary so that all of the employees would be covered."

"Well, you don't have to live there anymore," Yugi insisted. "You'll stay with us until things get better. And you can stay for as long as you need. All right?"

Mokuba nodded slowly before he began crying. "I just miss Seto so much. I wish he was here."

Yugi hugged him again while nodding. "And I wish Joey was here, too."

_I wish they both were_, Yami thought to himself. He hadn't realized it before, but those two had been the glue that kept everything together. And he desperately wished he knew what had happened to them.

* * *

"I can't believe we're almost home," Joey muttered under his breath. He and Seto sat near the rear of the subway train they were on. Keeping their heads low, they hoped no one would recognize them. But who would? They looked like a pair of teenaged bums. "Should we lay low for awhile?"

Seto turned his head to look a Joey. "I suppose so. That way we can get an idea of how things are going first. And besides, some people might recognize us and—"

"—freak out?" Joey finished for him.

"Yes," Seto added quietly.

"How are we gonna do this then?"

"We'll stay in a small motel near the outskirts of Domino until the tournament starts. And we'll make a last minute appearance."

"Ya always did have a way of makin' an entrance," Joey chuckled.

Seto gave him a wry smile. "I did, didn't I? Things will be different this time, though."

"Yep. And everybody's gonna flip the fuck out."

* * *

As Mokuba put his belongings away in Yugi's spare room, Yami lingered in the doorway. After a while, he leaned against it, his shoulder seeming to slide backward and forward against the frame.

"Did you want something?" asked Mokuba, knowing he was being watched.

"No," Yami replied quickly.

"Yami."

"How have you been?" he finally asked.

"Fine."

"Mokuba." Yami found himself sounding reprimanding.

"I don't really know, to be honest. Most of the time I feel like a ghost. I just wander around, hoping I can get through the day. Losing Seto was hard—_is_ hard. And then all of this responsibility I didn't want just landed in my lap. I miss being a kid." _Is this what Seto had felt like?_

"You blame yourself," Yami said finally, reading the expression on Mokuba's face. "You must know that your brother disappearing was never your fault."

"It feels like it is. What if he left because I didn't appreciate him enough? What if he's gone because he thought I didn't care about him?"

"Kaiba never would have thought things like that."

"Then why did he leave me?" Mokuba yelled, his chest heaving. "Why did he leave me all alone? He said he'd always be there for me. He promised."

"…I ask myself that about Joey. He always promised to be there for us. And he was never one to break a promise. But there's one thing I know for sure that comforts me whenever I think about him. About both of them."

"What's that?" Mokuba sniffed.

"They had special people in their lives they truly cared for and would do anything for. So I don't believe they would just leave because they could. I believe they would have done anything to protect their loved ones."

"What could have been so important that either of them would just leave without a word?" asked Mokuba.

Yami shook his head. "And that's the hard part. We don't know _what_ happened to them. For all we know, their disappearances were for different reasons. Joey went missing first, then Kaiba some time afterward."

"I really wish we knew what happened to them. But sometimes I don't want to know, either. I like to think that they're out there somewhere—happy—and alive."

They stayed silent until they heard Yugi's voice calling them down for dinner. Yami stepped away from the doorway and let Mokuba walk passed him. He followed him down the stairs until they made it to the dining table, where Yugi had set their dinner plates.

"I hope you like meatloaf," Yugi said with a smile as he sat at the table. Yami and Mokuba followed suit.

"Yeah," replied Mokuba, "but I haven't had it in awhile."

He stared at his plate, which consisted of a slice of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, and some green beans. It was a nicely done home-cooked meal, something of which he hadn't had in quite some time. Not since his parents had been alive. Seto had never cooked and he didn't know how to, either.

But they had had family dinners. They would have sat next to each other at the table and eaten their dinner while discussing the day's events. And as he sat there, eating with Yami and Yugi, the painful reminder of what he would never get to share with Seto again gnawed at his heart.

"Excuse me," said Mokuba, pushing his half eaten meal away. "I think I'll go to bed. I'm really tired."

"Oh!" started Yugi, sounding surprised. "Okay. Well, goodnight, Mokuba."

"Goodnight."

"Sleep well," added Yami.

Mokuba tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. After he made his way up the stairs, he entered his new bedroom, closed the door behind him, and plopped himself onto the bed. Then he let his thoughts wander.

He really wished he could act like a kid again; he just wanted to _be_ a kid. He never knew it would be so hard to be an adult. Now he wasn't surprised why Seto had acted the way he had before. Had Seto had moments where he just wanted to be a kid again, too?

Flopping onto his back, he reached for the card necklace that had been with him ever since he and his brother were kids.

But it wasn't there.

Quickly sitting up, his heart slammed into his chest when he realized he'd left it back at that stupid motel. Hopefully he could get back there before anyone decided to clean it out.

* * *

"You boys here for the tournament?"

Seto and Joey paused, hesitating for fear they'd be recognized.

It was Joey who broke the silence. "Uh…yeah?"

"Well, you're just in luck. I've got one room left. Someone hightailed it out of there today. Haven't had a chance to clean it up yet, though."

"That's fine," Seto interceded. "Are you the manager?"

"Yep, that's me," answered the old man, patting his chest as he smiled. "You're lucky to even find a place. The whole city is overrun with duelists and the like. You boys dueling?"

"We plan on it," said Joey, who was now smiling. It seemed the man didn't recognize them.

As Seto filled out the paperwork for the room, the old man continued to talk. "I'm lookin' forward to seein' all these young ones duel. It's been some time since I've had the pleasure. And you must try the food while you're here. There are vendors comin' in from all over. There'll be plenty of souvenirs, too. I heard that some of 'em will even make action figures for their favorite duelists."

"That sounds pretty cool," replied Joey.

"Finished," announced Seto.

"All right, then," said the old man. "Here's your key. Enjoy your stay."

"Thanks," Joey said, waving goodbye to the old man as he and Seto left to find their room. Once they did, they entered the room quietly, setting their bags down on the bed. "Doesn't look too bad for someone havin' been in here."

Seto grunted in agreement.

"Seto," Joey started slowly, "I know there were many chances to contact Mokuba to tell him what was goin' on. Why didn't ya tell him? I'm askin because we're gonna see him when this whole tournament starts."

"Why didn't you ever tell Serenity?" Seto replied, giving him a hard stare. They both knew they were on equal ground here. They'd each had opportunities to contact their siblings, but they hadn't. For some reason—in their minds—it was just better that way.

But now they could see them again.

"What're we gonna tell everyone?"

Seto sighed. He wasn't sure if he wanted people to know the truth yet. "We'll figure it out later."

"If ya say so," replied Joey. "I'm gonna go find us somethin' to eat. So chill out here, okay? I'll be back soon."

Nodding, Seto sat down on the bed. When Joey left, he laid down, his head sinking into the pillow. He stretched his arms above his head before tucking them underneath the pillow to make himself more comfortable. But as soon as he did that, he felt something odd.

Sitting back up, Seto turned toward the pillow and lifted it. What he saw stunned him. Reaching out, he picked up a card necklace—one that looked very much like his own. And when he opened it, he felt his heart drop into his stomach.

* * *

"Excuse me," said Mokuba, trying to get the motel manager's attention. "I know this is awkward, but I left something in the room I was renting and I was wondering if I could get it back."

"Is that so?" replied the old man. He looked at Mokuba and smiled when he recognized him. "It's you! Oh! But I'm afraid I've rented your room out to someone else."

Mokuba's mood continued to plummet.

"But there wasn't a chance to clean out the room before they snatched it up. If you knock, I suppose they'll let you get whatever it is you left behind."

Mokuba smiled at that. "Thank you," he said before racing off.

* * *

Joey entered the motel room with a wide variety of snacks in hand. "There wasn't really much to choose from," he announced. "Just a vendin' machine with some snacks. But I guess it'll do for now."

When he didn't receive a reply, he looked up from the food he was carrying. Seeing that Seto was staring blankly off into the distance, he dropped the snacks on the bed and knelt in front of him. "Seto?"

A knock at the door startled the both of them. Joey was the first to stand, Seto a few feet behind him. Another knock sounded before Joey finally opened the door.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but…" Mokuba's voice left him when his eyes focused on the person who'd answered the door.

"Mokuba," he heard the person say as he inhaled sharply.

Then he knew who it was. "Joey?" he gasped. Then another figure appeared behind him, taller, with brown hair and startling blue eyes he never thought he'd see again. "Seto!"

* * *

**End Chapter**


	4. Chapter 4 - Duel Madness

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 4**

_"I'm sorry to bother you, but…" Mokuba's voice left him when his eyes focused on the person who'd answered the door._

_"Mokuba," he heard the person say as he inhaled sharply._

_Then he knew who it was. "Joey?" he gasped. Then another figure appeared behind him, taller, with brown hair and startling blue eyes he never thought he'd see again. "Seto!"_

* * *

Yugi began pacing back and forth, wracked with worry over Mokuba. It was late and Mokuba still hadn't returned after bursting from the Game Shop like he had wild dogs nipping at his heels.

"Where is he?" Yugi stressed, wringing his hands in concern. "Shouldn't he be back by now?"

"Calm down, Yugi," instructed Yami. "I'm sure he's fine. Mokuba's going through a lot at the moment. This situation can't be easy for him. He probably needs some time for himself to work things out. And he might have been a bit overwhelmed being welcomed here."

"What? Why?"

"Think about it," continued Yami. "He's been doing things on his own for almost a year now. In a way, he locked himself away from the world, even though we had always made efforts to be there for him. Tonight was probably the first night in a long time where he felt connected with people. Give him time."

Yugi sighed, relaxing somewhat. "Okay. I'm still worried about him, though."

"Me, too."

* * *

"Are you sure we should be meeting like this?" started Hisao. "It's nearly after midnight. Why are we meeting without Mokuba?"

"We need to discuss the tournament," said Masashi. "_And_ Mokuba. It would be best to do this without him knowing."

Kaede grinned. A secret meeting between the board of directors? What could be a better opportunity?

"As you can see," Masashi continued, "Domino City is already overrun by duelists from all over the world. I've heard rumors of big names entering. Like Mai Valentine, Yugi Mutou, Marik Ishtar, and a variety of others. And I must say that Mokuba took me by surprise with this tournament idea. Perhaps we underestimated his abilities."

"I must agree," said Hisao. "All he needed, it seems, was a little push to get him going. I suppose we have you to thank for that, Kaede."

Kaede stifled a grimace. If anything, he wanted nothing to do with Kaibas. He would prefer it much more if Pegasus and Zigfried took over Kaiba Corp. And with those two paying him behind the scenes, he would ensure that that's what would happen. "Perhaps I did give him a push, but he has outright said that he is stepping down. It doesn't matter if he has a great idea for the company now. He'll be gone by the tournament's end."

"I see your point," agreed Hisao. "It's too bad, though."

"There must be something for him to do once all of this is over," stated Masashi.

Kaede wandered over to the large window that overlooked Domino, trying to drown out the words on how to help Mokuba from the other two members he was forced to work with. He hated Kaibas. And he wanted absolutely nothing to do with Mokuba. Not if he could help it.

* * *

Mokuba just stood there, stunned at seeing Seto and Joey. He slowly entered the dingy motel room, half paying attention when Joey moved behind him to shut the door. The three of them stared at each other for a few minutes before Seto broke the silence.

"You got taller," Seto said quietly. He paused, his expression becoming blank. "I've missed a lot…haven't I?" It was as if he was trying to imagine all the things he'd missed in leaving everything—and everyone—behind.

But at the sound of his brother's voice, Mokuba finally knew that it was really him. He ran full throttle at Seto, threw his arms around him, inhaled his familiar scent, and cried for all he was worth. He felt Seto kneel down before him and hold him in his arms. He felt his brother kiss the top of his head, holding him tightly as if he would never let him go.

And they stayed like that, no one saying a word, until Mokuba cried himself into exhaustion. Being so overwhelmed by everything—the horrible past, the overwhelming present, and the unexpected future—Mokuba had fallen asleep in Seto's arms.

"Looks like he wore himself out," muttered Joey as he approached Seto. He pushed some of the hair out of Mokuba's face, noticing the tear streaks and crumpled expression. "Let's put him to bed. We should get some sleep, too. We've got a lot of explainin' to do tomorrow."

Seto nodded and stood with Mokuba in his arms. Carrying him to the bed, he placed him in it, took off his shoes and tucked him in. And when Seto made to lie down on the floor, Joey stopped him.

"No," started Joey, "get in the bed."

Seto looked indecisive.

"It'll be better for both of ya this way."

"I don't understand."

Joey sighed. "Ya haven't seen each other in ages. I know he's asleep, but ya bein' there next to him, he'll sense that. It'll make the both of ya feel better, especially by mornin'. Think of it as rebondin'. It'll help ya guys sleep, too. He needs to know you're gonna be there when he wakes up," he tried to explain.

Whether or not he made sense, he wasn't sure. But when he saw Seto get off the floor and get into the bed beside Mokuba, he figured something must have gotten through to him.

Within minutes, Seto fell asleep, his arm draped lightly over Mokuba. The both of them looked content, relaxed, and happy. Not wanting to feel left out of such a moment, Joey carefully got into the bed next to Mokuba, but made sure not to touch him. He didn't want to wake anyone up. They could deal with everything in the morning.

* * *

Yugi hadn't slept a wink all night. It was early morning and all he could do was pace in the kitchen while he worried about why Mokuba hadn't come back last night.

"Settle down, Yugi," said Yami.

"I can't settle down!" he cried, throwing himself into hysterics. "What if Mokuba's disappeared now, too? Like Joey and Kaiba did? What if he's gone and isn't coming back?"

"Yugi, that's not what's happened," Yami tried to assure him. "The tournament is happening soon. Mokuba was probably called away to handle some things. He does still run Kaiba Corp."

Yugi calmed down, but not by much. He wouldn't be satisfied until he saw Mokuba again.

* * *

Mokuba took a deep breath, sleep finally escaping him as he slowly began to waken. The smell of food caught his attention, but he kept his eyes closed, confused as to why he was smelling such a thing. He usually skipped breakfast. There should be no reason for the smell of food.

But then his thoughts began to drift away from the aroma in the air. It hit him. He realized where he was. And then he remembered what he'd seen last night.

Mokuba shot up from the bed, his breathing quickened, and his eyes widened as they landed on Seto and Joey, who were sitting on the floor at the base of the bed, watching him. He opened his mouth a few times, but his voice had left him. So he took the opportunity to really take in what he was seeing.

They definitely looked like Seto and Joey. Sure, Seto's hair was a little scraggly and he wasn't in some trench coat or suit, but he still looked like his brother. Similarly, Joey still kind of looked like Joey except his hair was a little more tamed and his clothes actually looked like they'd been ironed.

"You're really here," Mokuba finally managed to say. "Where have you been? Why did you leave? Where did you go? Wh—mmff!" He was prevented from speaking anymore after Joey shoved a blueberry muffin in his mouth.

"Take it easy, squirt," started Joey gently. "I know this is a shock, but ya need to calm down a little bit. Eat your muffin while we explain a few things."

"Mokuba," began Seto slowly. He wasn't quite sure where to begin. "We…heard about the tournament you're hosting and came to help you."

Hearing Seto's voice sent a jolt through Mokuba. It really was him; it really was his brother. Tears slipping down his face, he put down the muffin he held and turned his teary gaze toward Seto. "Why did you leave me? What have you guys been doing this whole time?"

"I'm sorry, Mokuba," cut in Joey, "but now is not the time for details. I'm really sorry."

"I'll tell you everything all in due time," added Seto, looking guilty. "But let me say that I _never _meant to hurt you. You didn't drive me away, Mokuba. I did that to myself. I was of no use to anyone back then. And I truly believed that you were better off without me. I _do_ regret my decision to leave; however, I would not change that even if I could. I know that I will have to live with this guilt—in leaving you—but know that I _never_ stopped loving you, Mokuba. Not once."

Mokuba felt a weight lift from his heavy heart as relief washed over him at hearing those words. He wasn't to blame. But still, there were still more questions than answers.

"Eat your muffin, kid. I can hear your stomach from here," said Joey. "And we have other things to discuss. Like how no one else can know we're here until we show up at the tournament, okay?"

At this Mokuba became confused. "But…everyone's been worried sick! Including me! Do you know how long we've been waiting to hear a single word from you? And you just want to hide and—!"

"Mokuba," Seto cut in, "I understand where you're coming from. But I've been thinking about how things are going for you and the company, at least from the information Joey's given me. And something feels off. I believe we need to lay low until the tournament starts. Joey and I will be entering together."

"Wha—together?" Now Mokuba was really confused. They were going to duel together? But they didn't get along. Unless… "Since you guys disappeared, have you two been together this whole time?" he asked quietly.

Seto sighed and Joey averted his eyes, which only seemed to answer Mokuba's question.

"Why? Why did you leave?" Mokuba begged.

Seto could feel his heart pound within his chest. He really wanted to wait to tell Mokuba these things, but he wasn't sure Mokuba would leave quietly without knowing something. "I…couldn't take care of myself anymore, so Joey took care of me."

Mokuba frowned. "I don't understand."

"I…" Seto looked to Joey for help.

"He had a nervous breakdown, Mokuba," explained Joey. "He needed help—badly—and I was there to give it to him."

"But," started Mokuba, his mind swimming, "I could have taken care of you, Seto."

"No," Joey said simply. "Not like he was. And he…"

"I never wanted you to see me like that. That's why I left with Joey. I didn't want—I couldn't let you see me like that," Seto added.

Mokuba could detect the pain in his brother's voice, which only made him wonder what Seto had actually gone through. "And that's it? That's all that happened?" he asked, wanting to make sure that was the real reason for Seto leaving. He knew there was more to the story, but he wasn't sure if he should ask yet.

"That's not all," said Seto, sounding somber. "However, I'm not ready to tell you more. Give me…time. I know that's a lot to ask considering how long I've been away from you, but I'm not going anywhere this time. I'm better now."

"A lot better," Joey commented with a small smile. "But we gotta ask ya to do somethin' that you're not gonna like. Ya can't come see us again."

"Why not?" Mokuba exclaimed.

Seto nodded in agreement to what Joey had said. "We'll come to you, Mokuba. It would be best if you didn't seek us out or try to contact us. We'll show up at the tournament. And you need to promise us that you won't tell anyone we're here. Understood?"

Mokuba wiped at his eyes and nodded before moving into his brother's lap. If keeping this promise meant seeing his brother again, he'd do anything.

"Now finish your breakfast," insisted Seto as he hugged him. Watching Mokuba nibble at the muffin, he continued. "Everything is going to be fine, Mokuba. You don't need to worry. Whatever happens, we _are_ going to be a family again…very soon." And with that, he placed Mokuba's card necklace around his neck.

* * *

Mokuba, making his face as expressionless as he could, entered the Game Shop, where he was immediately accosted by Yugi.

"Where have you been?" Yugi demanded.

"I was helping out with the setup for the tournament," Mokuba lied. "We're setting up cameras and billboards all over Domino and I needed to dish out orders."

Yugi seemed appeased by that news. "Do you want any breakfast?"

"No, I already ate," he replied. At least _that_ was the truth.

Mokuba watched Yugi walk into the kitchen. But then it seemed to be Yami's turn to interrogate him. "It looks like you've been crying," Yami stated. "Are you all right?"

At this, he nodded. "I…had a good cry over some things. I just let everything out and I feel good now. And I really think things are going to get better," he said, giving Yami a genuine smile.

* * *

As Seto and Joey finished their breakfast, Joey couldn't help but try to read into Seto's thoughts. It proved to be a difficult task, so he opted for outright asking. "How are ya feelin'?"

Seto looked at him sheepishly. "Guilty…but I'm really happy I was able to see Mokuba. And I meant what I said about being a family again soon."

Joey gave him a half-hearted smile in response.

Noticing, Seto continued. "Being a family includes _you_." He took Joey's hand in his and rubbed his thumb over it in a soothing manner before leaning forward and kissing him lightly on the lips.

Joey blushed, smiling as he said, "That's another thing we're gonna have to explain to everyone."

Seto gave him an amused smile, but then his expression turned serious. "When we're in public together, you don't need to be self-conscious about the relationship we share now."

Nodding, he looked away, still feeling a bit uneasy. He couldn't help but think all of this was happening too fast. What if Seto had a bad relapse? What if everyone rejected them when they showed up at the tournament?

"Stop that," said Seto, as if reading his mind. "Everything is going to be fine. As long as we're together, we'll be fine."

It was Joey's turn to lean forward, but he decided on giving a hug rather than a kiss; a hug in which Seto returned warmly.

"What do ya think everyone is gonna do when they see us?"

"I'm actually curious as to what Yugi will do to _you_."

Joey chuckled. "He'll probably run and jump at me for a hug. I already got it in my head to brace myself so he doesn't knock me to the ground."

They both laughed, the scene in their heads playing over and over again. It made a dire situation seem more bearable.

As their amusement began to fade, Joey leaned back against the bed and stared at Seto. "I still think we should cut your hair."

"What is with you and my hair all of a sudden?"

Joey stifled a groan. "Cuz some people thought ya were a homeless man when we got here. Even though I like your hair like that, your whole sweats outfit makes ya look like a hobo."

"This coming from you?" Seto replied, his eyebrow raising.

"What? I learned how to clean myself up a bit!" he protested. "I even trimmed my hair!"

"After you got it stuck in that raspberry bush."

"Would ya drop that already?" he responded sharply, blushing in embarrassment.

"You're the one who brought up trimming hair. And you're not touching mine. End of story. I like it like this."

Joey grunted as he crossed his arms. "At least let me give ya somethin' different to wear to this whole tournament thing."

"Fine," Seto conceded.

"Yes!" Joey crowed, jumping up from the floor and bouncing around. He rushed toward one of their bags. "I got ya this cool outfit that'll make ya look awesome!"

* * *

It was finally the end of the week. The tournament would start soon. Mokuba watched from his spot at the podium inside the Kaiba Dome located within Kaiba Land as duelists, fans, and the media swarmed the building. People quickly gathered round, waiting for Mokuba to make his announcement which would provide them with further instructions. They'd waited for this day ever since they were told to gather here after registering for the tournament.

Mokuba's eyes panned the audience, trying to spot either his brother or Joey, but he didn't see them. Gradually, he began to wonder if he'd finally cracked and had just imagined the whole thing.

"Greetings, everyone!" Mokuba started as he began his announcement. "We have reports of an overwhelming number of participants. 1,024 tag-teams have registered for the tournament. This means the official start date for the tournament has been moved until after this weekend to give all of you a chance to prepare for the duels ahead.

"All duelists who are participating will receive a new duel disk that has a dueling alert sensor, which will be distributed an hour before the duels officially start on Monday at the Kaiba Dome. It works almost like a pager. When the alarm goes off, it will tell you where you need to be and when for your duel. If you don't make it to your destination on time, you will automatically be eliminated from the tournament. Duels will _only_ take place on Mondays through Fridays; you'll have your weekends off to prepare for the next round. This means there will be one round per week until the number of teams dwindles down. There will only be ten rounds.

"Round One will consist of 1,024 teams; the first 512 teams to win _five_ duels moves onto the next round. Round Two will consist of 512 teams; the first 256 teams to win _four_ duels will move onto the next round. Round Three will consist of 256 teams; the first 128 teams to win _three_ duels will move onto the next round. Round Four will consist of 128 teams; the first 64 teams to win _three_ duels will move onto the next round.

"Round Five will consist of 64 teams; the first 32 teams to win _two_ duels will move onto the next round. Round Six will consist of 32 teams; the first 16 teams to win _two_ duels will move onto the next round. Round Seven will consist of 16 teams; the first eight teams to win _one_ duel will move onto the next round.

"Now this is where the _real_ fun begins. Round Eight will begin one week after Round Seven has been completed. There will be a small ceremony for the finalists. These eight teams will then use their one week to create a proposal to present to Kaiba Corp.'s board of directors, myself, and all of you. Dueling will then proceed afterward, leaving four teams at the end of the round.

"Round Nine will begin two weeks afterward, giving each team time to prepare a working prototype to present to the board of directors—again—myself, and all of you. Dueling will commence afterward, leaving us with our two finalists.

"Round Ten will take place the following week. You will then have time to prepare for the duel of your lives. There's a lot at stake here…for everyone.

"Now, there will be video cameras located throughout the city which will record the duels, show them on T.V. and stream online. There will also be electronic billboards located throughout the city. These will show the current duels that are going on and their locations. The duels will also be randomly selected by a computer program. Duels can occur anytime—Monday through Friday—between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. and during any weather conditions. Locations are also randomized.

"So the official start of the Tag-Team Duel Monsters Tournament will begin this Monday at 9 a.m. That is in two days time. But remember to be an hour early for your new duel disk. Be prepared and good luck!"

With that, Mokuba stepped down from the podium and wandered through the crowd, excited chatter trickling through the duelists as his mind drifted to other things. He wondered if seeing Seto and Joey had just been a figment of his imagination. Becoming disheartened, he really began to believe it had all just been a dream; Seto and Joey were not here.

"If it isn't little Herr Kaiba."

Mokuba's head shot up, his eyes landing on Zigfried. Pegasus stood next to him. Hardening his gaze, he said, "What do you want?"

Pegasus laughed. "Is that any way to treat the participants of your tournament?"

"You've entered?" Mokuba started, eyes widening. "Together?"

"Of course," continued Zigfried, smiling extensively. "Did you really think we would give up on Kaiba Corp. that easily? You may have stalled things for awhile, but Kaiba Corp. _will_ belong to us. After all, you've done nothing but disgrace its name."

"Indeed," chuckled Pegasus. "We really should have done this years ago. It's going to be so much fun. Too bad old Kaiba-boy isn't here to witness it. But don't worry Mokuba. We won't toss you out like yesterday's trash. I'm pretty sure we can cast you as a mascot or something."

"Not if I can help it," came a strong voice from behind him and Zigfried. The people around them grew suddenly quiet, shocked from hearing a voice they hadn't heard in so long.

Pegasus and Zigfried turned around and saw Seto Kaiba staring straight at them, his expression blank. They were the same hard blue eyes they had always known. His hair was a bit longer, but that didn't make him any less intimidating. Dressed in a dark blue dress shirt, long white overcoat, and dark dress pants, he looked as formidable as he had in the past.

"Kaiba?" Pegasus gasped. "It can't be…"

"In the flesh," announced Joey, stepping out from behind Seto. "'Sup, Pinky."

Zigfried began sputtering as he took in Joey, or—at least—a cleaned-up version. His hair was tamed and his brown eyes held a fire he had never seen before. Joey's red shirt, black jacket and pants made him look as intimidating as _the_ Seto Kaiba. "You!"

No one really knew what to do at that point. They were seeing Seto Kaiba and Joey Wheeler right in front of them, their names being whispered ecstatically throughout the crowd. When it finally seemed to sink in that they were really here, alive and well, all hell broke loose. Some people screamed while others yelled, and there was pushing and shoving in the crowd.

"Joey!" Yugi screamed as he hurled himself at the blond, who braced himself for the impact. Joey caught Yugi in his arms and hugged him as he cried. "I missed you!"

"Kaiba!" Seto's head shot up in alarm. Who the hell would be crying out at _him_? Before he even had a chance to react, he found Yami hurling himself at him. Seto's eyes widened momentarily as Yami latched onto him and did the ugliest sobbing the world had ever seen.

Seto glanced over at Joey, looking lost. When Joey nodded to him, Seto looked back down at Yami, put his arms around him, and hugged him. This slight action set some people off in the crowd since they had never seen Seto Kaiba willingly hug anyone other than his brother before.

Suddenly, Yugi started rambling off questions while Yami continued to sob, saying something about how not having a true rival was hard. Mokuba, on the other hand, slowly inched his way toward Seto and Joey, his heart swelling with joy in knowing that they were really here.

After some of the emotions dimmed down a bit, Pegasus finally found his voice. "Where have _you_ been, Kaiba?"

Joey jumped in, saying, "Well, ya see, we got in a plane crash," he started animatedly, "and we were on a deserted island until recently—!"

"—I had a nervous breakdown," Seto admitted, cutting him off.

"So we're goin' with the truth then," Joey muttered quietly.

At this, Pegasus began laughing. "A nervous breakdown?" he mocked. "Oh, the poor Kaiba-boy couldn't handle the pressure, hm?"

"I can really tell you had one now," added Zigfried. "I mean, look at you. You look ridiculous. You are nothing like the man you used to be. Do you even have what it takes anymore?"

"I know that I am no longer the man I once was," Seto admitted, much to everyone's—save Joey's—surprise. "I'm better. But either way, win or lose, I'll still have the people who care for me in my life, unlike you. That's more important to me than a company. However, that doesn't mean Joey and I won't ensure that Kaiba Corp. doesn't fall into the hands of you two."

"We'll see, Herr Kaiba," said Zigfried threateningly as he began walking away with Pegasus. "We'll see."

Jolted into action, the crowd started to dissipate. They hadn't expected to see Seto Kaiba or Joey Wheeler, let alone them teaming up together. With that news, duelists scrambled off to alter their decks. Even though these two might have been missing in action, as far as anyone else knew, Seto and Joey were still some of the top duelists in the world.

"I'd like to go now," Seto said suddenly.

Joey sensed that so many people all at once was getting to him. "Okay. We'll leave," he replied, ushering Mokuba in front of him. He grabbed Seto gently by the arm and led them outside of the Kaiba Dome, Yugi and Yami in hot pursuit. "We need to get somewhere…quiet," he said to them.

Yugi then quickly led them back to the Game Shop. He shut and locked the door, put up the 'We're Closed' sign, and rounded on everyone. "Where have you two _been_?"

* * *

**End Chapter**


	5. Chapter 5 - For the People

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"_I'd like to go now," Seto said suddenly._

_Joey sensed that so many people all at once was getting to him. "Okay. We'll leave," he replied, ushering Mokuba in front of him. He grabbed Seto gently by the arm and led them outside of the Kaiba Dome, Yugi and Yami in hot pursuit. "We need to get somewhere…quiet," he said to them._

_Yugi then quickly led them back to the Game Shop. He shut and locked the door, put up the 'We're Closed' sign, and rounded on everyone. "Where have you two **been**?"_

* * *

"Seto Kaiba is back!" Masashi exclaimed as he rung his hands through his thinning hair. "What are we going to do?"

"He's going to do everything in his power to get back this company," fretted Hisao, breaking out into a cold sweat.

Kaede snarled. "Just wait a minute," he started. "Don't you think we would have been alerted to his presence the minute he entered the tournament? I don't know about you, but I haven't come across too many Seto Kaibas."

Masashi and Hisao exchanged sheepish glances.

"Well, look up his name in the registrar!" Kaede snapped at them.

Hisao scrambled for the computer. As he sat, typing away, Kaede began to pace. "There is no Seto Kaiba registered for the tournament," announced Hisao.

Kaede rounded on him, eyes ablaze. "Look up the other one. Joey Wheeler."

After a few seconds, Hisao said, "There _is_ a Joey Wheeler. But he's paired with a Seto Takayama."

Facing away from them, Kaede approached the massive window that overlooked Domino. He would never get tired of this view, especially since it seemed he had a way of keeping it now. Grinning to himself, he began to plan just how he would tell the almighty Seto Kaiba that he was no longer welcomed in the tournament; he would be disqualified—including his partner—for registering under a fake name.

* * *

"Where have you two _been_?" Yugi demanded again, his eyes livid. If not for his small stature, he'd almost look threatening.

Mokuba looked from Seto to Joey, unsure of what would happen next. He felt anxious and relieved all at the same time. But how the public would react to their reappearance had him frightened, too.

"We would like to know the truth," stated Yami firmly, "not the lie you came up with for _their_ sake. You know, the media?" Seto and Joey appeared confused by this.

"I…wasn't lying," Seto confirmed slowly. "I did have a nervous breakdown. I left because I was a danger to others and myself. Joey left with me…to help me."

"But—!" Yugi's probing was cut off by Joey's interruption.

"We should really get back to the motel before anyone notices where we're hidin' out," he said, eyeing the windows uneasily.

"What? No!" exclaimed Yugi. "You're staying here and that's final! I'm not letting you two out of my sight! Do you know how worried I've been? I mean, you might as well stay since Mokuba's staying here, too!"

"Huh? Wait, ya really were stayin' at that motel room?" questioned Joey. "Why?"

Jolted from being an observer to the conversation, Mokuba replied, "I had to sell the mansion in order to make ends meet, so I was living out of a motel room for a few months. I'm really sorry I had to do that to the mansion, Seto."

"The mansion doesn't matter to me," said Seto, sighing as he looked at his younger brother sadly. He pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry you've had to go through all of this alone. Things will get better soon. I promise. And as Joey's taught me, I never break a promise."

"I'm sorry to break up this touching moment, but if we're going to get you two moved in before anyone else gets wind of it, we should get your belongings now," Yami interceded. "I'll go and retrieve your things and bring them back here. That way you won't be accosted by the media outside."

"I'll go with Yami, then, since I've been to the motel room," added Mokuba. He gave Seto another hug, but he let it linger for a bit. "I'm really glad you're back."

"Me, too," Seto said with a smile. "And I'll be here when you get back."

After Yami and Mokuba left for the motel, Yugi beckoned for Seto and Joey to follow him. They headed up the stairs and down the hallway lined with a shaggy red rug before Yugi paused in front of a door. He opened it and stepped inside.

"Mokuba's next to this room. Yami and I share the room across the hall. I guess Joey can have this one and you can share with Mokuba," Yugi stated unsurely.

"I'll share with Joey," said Seto as he stepped into the room. "The bed's big enough for the two of us."

Yugi's eyes widened in surprise. "What? But—!"

"Really, it's fine, Yugi," cut in Joey as he ruffled his friend's hair. "We've been living together for over a year. I know all his quirks and moods. It'll be fine."

"Uh…okay then."

"Yugi," started Seto as he looked at him gently, "thank you. We appreciate you doing this. But we won't put you out for long."

"You're not putting me out!" stammered Yugi as he began to panic. Were they going to leave again? Disappear?"

"Stop freakin' out," said Joey. "He just means we'll stay until we find somewhere else more…permanent?" he finished off, looking toward Seto for confirmation.

He got it. "Yes. It's until we find something more permanent of our own."

* * *

The next morning, Joey was up and about in Yugi's small kitchen. He stood in front of the stove, spatula in hand, and a plate already filled with dozens of pancakes to his right. Joey had been quite surprised to be the first one awake, but it was only six in the morning.

"You're up early," announced Yugi.

Joey turned to see his friend standing in the doorway still in his Kuriboh pajamas, his hair sticking out in more directions than it normally did.

"Mornin', Yug'. I'm makin' breakfast. I thought since I was up, I might as well do somethin' since ya guys helped us out."

Yugi smiled warmly at him. "That's fine," he replied as he seated himself at the kitchen table. He rested his chin in his hands, his face growing serious. "Why did you leave?"

"I left to help Seto," Joey answered, his back to the small teen.

"Joey, I understand why _he_ needed to leave. But why did _you _leave? Especially without saying anything to me."

Sighing, Joey turned off the burner as he plopped the final pancake on the plate. He turned and set the pancakes on the table before sitting across from Yugi. It was now truth-telling time.

"Seto was in really bad shape back then. I was there when he finally lost it and he asked me to help him. He made me promise not to tell anyone what was goin' on with him. Not even Mokuba. And it seemed like a chance for me to take advantage of that opportunity."

"I don't understand," Yugi said confusedly.

Joey took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he let out his little secret all in one go. "My dad had been beatin' me, Yugi. It was gettin' really bad. If I'd stayed much longer, he might've killed me or somethin'."

Yugi gasped, eyes widening in fright. "Joey—!"

"Let me finish," interrupted Joey. "It wasn't just that. Some gang members also kept knockin' on our door lookin' for pay for my old man's debts. And if they didn't get their money—on time—more bad things were bound to happen.

"When Seto asked me for help, I jumped on it. I thought that if I laid low for awhile, my problems would just go away, ya know? I thought that my dad would think I'd run away or somethin' and that those guys would think he'd finally killed me or whatever. I thought they'd all just give up thinkin' about me so I could finally _live_ my life.

"What I didn't count on, though, was bein' away with Seto for over a year. But I wouldn't change what happened for anythin'."

Yugi, shocked to hear Joey speak of such horrible things, asked the only question he could form in his mind. "Does Kaiba know?"

Joey nodded. "Yeah. But don't call him Kaiba anymore. Call him Seto, okay?"

"Okay," he replied unsurely. "Um, I have to ask…did Ka-Seto _make _you—?"

"No. He didn't make me do anythin' I didn't want, if that's what you're gettin' at. Before we left for good, Seto put his private account in my name. He said that if I ever had enough of him or if I didn't want to take care of him anymore then I could just take his money and leave. I guess ya know what choice I made," said Joey as his mouth quirked up into a smile.

Suddenly, a loud yawn sounded from the doorway, followed by a second loud yawn. Yugi and Joey turned their gazes toward the door and spotted a drowsy Yami and zombie-like Mokuba standing there.

"You guys are up too early," Mokuba grumbled as he helped himself to some coffee.

Joey looked on in distaste. "Then why'd ya get up?"

"My stomach made me," Mokuba continued to grumble as he sat down with his coffee and eyed the pancakes like a ravenous wolf.

"Why isn't Seto up yet?" Yugi questioned. "Isn't he normally up at the crack of dawn?"

Joey glanced at the clock that hung above the refrigerator. "Uh, I'll wake him up at seven. He sleeps longer now."

But then Seto stepped into the kitchen and stared at Mokuba for a bit before grabbing the cup of coffee from him and dumping the contents down the drain. He set the cup in the sink, ignoring Mokuba's outburst of protest.

"It's bad for you," Seto stated simply. "Drink some juice or something."

"But you drink coffee," Mokuba accused. "Probably when you were even younger than me."

"I don't drink coffee anymore," he replied.

Joey then walked up to Seto, rubbed the brunet's shoulders a few times, and asked, "Good, bad, or very bad?"

Seto then focused his attention on Joey. "Good."

"Did you do your stretches?"

"Yes."

"Want tea?"

"Yes," Seto answered as he sat down at the kitchen table while Joey went through their stash of teas to make him some.

After Joey finished making Seto his tea and handed it to him, the blond went about serving everyone pancakes. But Yugi, Yami, and Mokuba weren't really focused on breakfast. They were too busy analyzing the scene that had just occurred. It had seemed so…routine. And they didn't quite understand any of it.

"Hey, eat your breakfast!" Joey scolded them all playfully as he sat down. That seemed to jolt everyone into eating.

A few minutes later, however, a loud knock sounded at the door. "I'll get it," said Yugi as he scampered off for the front door. A short while later, he began shouting for Seto.

Frowning slightly, Seto rose from the table and headed for the front door, Joey hot on his heels. Yami and Mokuba—not to be left behind—followed them quickly. When they got to the door, Mokuba's face became rigid. "Kaede," he ground out, "what are you doing here?"

Kaede, who looked rather ecstatic, panned the inside of the Game Shop until his eyes landed on Seto. "I suppose I don't have to inform you of how pleased I am to see you again."

Seto merely grunted in response.

"But, unfortunately, I have to inform you that you and your partner will be kicked out of the tournament."

"What? Why?" Joey demanded.

"Seto Kaiba is not registered as a partner to Joey Wheeler. Since a false name was given, the two of you are disqualified from the tournament."

At this, Seto began laughing while Joey just smirked. "The information is correct. Seto Kaiba is no longer my legal name. Seto Takayama is. It's my birth name. I had it legally changed back," stated Seto as he grinned in amusement. "You may check for yourself, Kaede, but know this. You're going to have to dig a lot deeper to get us kicked out of this tournament."

Kaede, sputtering as his face turned a bright red, whipped out his cell phone to make a call. When it seemed what Seto was telling him rang true, he stormed off. "This isn't over!"

"Of course it's not,"' Seto replied as he shut the door. "It's only just begun."

* * *

Later that evening, Joey tapped his fingers on the arm of the couch as he watched everyone focusing on the movie they were watching. But his impatience and angst were finally getting to him.

"How come no one's shown up?" Joey asked suddenly. "None of our friends have come knockin'."

Yugi turned red and tried to avoid eye contact.

"What did ya do?" he accused.

"Well," Yugi started slowly, "I did get a few calls demanding to know where you two were, but I said that I didn't know and that you'd probably show up on the day of the tournament! Please don't tell anyone I lied!"

"I won't," Joey said as he tried to calm his friend. "But why did ya do that? Ya didn't have to."

Yugi began twiddling his thumbs. "I just thought you two would like some time to get readjusted. It's gonna get crazy out there, Joey. Joey?"

But Joey wasn't paying attention to him anymore. His eyes were riveted on Seto clenching and unclenching his fists. It was then that Joey realized just how cold it had gotten. Moving closer to Seto, he had a short, whispered conversation with him before Joey put Seto's arm around his shoulders and helped him up.

"Excuse us," Joey said quietly.

The others watched them move slowly up the stairs, confused by the action. Minutes later, they heard water from the tub running in the bathroom.

Not being able to handle the suspense for much longer, Yugi leapt from the couch and headed up the stairs. By the time he reached the bathroom, Joey was already stepping out of it. And just as quickly, Joey shut the door behind him.

"Is everything okay?" Yugi asked somberly.

"Seto just got a bit cold and stiff so he's takin' a bath to warm up," Joey explained. "We'll probably head to bed afterward."

"Okay," replied Yugi, but he still seemed confused. "Why does it look like you're guarding the door?"

Joey didn't answer.

"You're not going to tell me anything else, are you?"

Joey shook his head. "Not until he's ready."

Nodding in understanding, Yugi left Joey to tend to Seto. As he made his way back downstairs, Yami approached him. "Is everything all right?" he asked.

"I don't know," Yugi sighed, at a loss. "I'm uneasy about all this secret keeping. And Seto and Joey seem awfully close. I wonder what made them that way."

Mokuba, after hearing what Yugi had to say, pulled his knees up to his chest and began to wonder the same thing. Even though Seto was back, he didn't _feel_ like he was really back. He feared he'd never have that connection he'd once had with his brother ever again.

* * *

"Why did you call us, Kaede?" Pegasus questioned immediately once he and Zigfried entered the man's small office.

"The plan to eliminate Seto Kaiba from the tournament has failed," Kaede started. "I was under the assumption he had registered under a false name. As it turns out, Seto Kaiba is not longer his legal name. Seto Takayama is."

Pegasus sat in the chair in front of Kaede's desk and crossed his hands, deep in thought. "Back when I started Duelist Kingdom, the lovely Big Five mentioned something about the bylaws. It had to do with the fact that only a Kaiba can be chief executive of the company. In other words, a Kaiba has to be the face of the company. It was why I took Mokuba in the first place. He would be the face while I ran things. Is that still valid?"

"Unfortunately, after that incident, Seto Kaiba made some changes. He did so in order to protect his brother," explained Kaede.

"Clever boy," concluded Pegasus. "So it appears Mokuba knew of this, otherwise creating this whole tournament would have been a sham."

"Well, you must find something!" Zigfried snapped at Kaede, who'd remained quiet until this point. Why did it seem like there was always a Kaiba in his way? "Isn't that what we're paying you for?"

Before Kaede could warrant that with a response, Pegasus cut in. "Maybe he did find something," he contemplated. "Perhaps you should dig into why he changed his name. Figure out why he no longer wants to be known as a Kaiba."

* * *

Seto woke with a start; however, he kept his eyes closed. Something warm was hitting his face. He opened one eye and realized the sun was shining on his face through a small crack in the blinds. Sitting up, he noticed it was a bit earlier than when he'd normally wake, but the warmth from the sunlight made him feel happy, energized, and…frisky.

Smiling to himself, he turned onto his side and stared at Joey's sleeping form. The blond's mouth was parted ever so slightly as soft snores came from him. As he smirked, he gently crawled on top of Joey and began kissing him soundly on the mouth.

"Someone's frisky this mornin'," said Joey sleepily when Seto finally let him catch his breath.

"I feel really good today," he replied with a laugh.

Joey chuckled with him until Seto's kisses became more intense, especially when the brunet's hands began to wander.

"No!" Joey hissed at him as he tried to stifle his gasps. "Mokuba's in the other room! He could hear us!"

"Then be quiet," he said as he continued. Not to be denied, Seto gripped Joey's rear and kissed him even more deeply. Joey moaned into the kiss before thrusting his hips and flipping Seto onto his back.

Succeeding, Joey made his getaway. He scrambled from the bed, raced toward the door and left Seto behind. The brunet stared after him with a grin on his face.

* * *

"Why are you so red, Joey?" Yugi asked as he noticed his friend's flushed face. "Do you have a fever?"

"No!" he answered far too quickly for his own peace of mind. "I'm just a little…hot. Yeah! I'm just hot!" But then he turned to look out the kitchen window when he saw Seto saunter in.

Yugi, surprised to see Seto looking so energetic and…happy, began to wonder if he'd stepped into an alternate reality. He'd never seen Seto like this before.

And when Mokuba and Yami entered the kitchen, what Seto said floored them.

"Good morning, Mokuba. Yami," he greeted with a smile.

Mokuba was taken a bit off guard with Seto's enthusiasm, but it was Yami's reaction that perplexed everyone. He began tearing up and threw himself at Seto, hugging him. It was the ugly sobbing all over again.

"It's really good to see you!" Yami sobbed.

"You saw me yesterday. And the day before that."

"I know!" he continued to sob. "But seeing you so happy has made one of my wildest dreams come true!"

If that was only _one_ of Yami's wildest dreams, no one wanted to know what the other ones were. Eventually, though, Seto pried him off.

"We all need to talk," he said. When everyone seated themselves at the table—and Yami's crying subsided—he began. "Joey and I talked last night and we decided to let you in on some…things. I trust you and I know you've been walking on eggshells around me. I'm going to tell you something that can't leave this room. Understand?"

When they all nodded, he continued. "As you know, Mokuba and I were adopted by Gozaburo Kaiba. What you don't know—this includes you, Mokuba—is that…Gozaburo constantly beat me when he was training me as his heir. I have scars all over my body that cause me almost continuous pain. My joints ache when it gets too cold and that makes it hard for me to move sometimes. Stress also makes the pain worse.

"When I left, the pain had become too much for me. But after I left with Joey, he helped me get better, healthier. I still have bad days, but that only happens when I'm either too stressed or the weather gets too cold."

No one seemed to know how to respond to this news, especially Mokuba.

"I'm better now," Seto assured them. "However, if Joey ever tells you to leave me alone or if he advises you to do anything in regard to me, you need to listen to him. He's seen me at my worst. And he's been with me long enough to know what's best. It's for your protection as well as mine. On a very bad day, I wouldn't want to accidentally…hurt anyone," he finished quietly.

Noticing the saddened looks from hearing what he had to say, Seto added, "A lot of good came out of suffering so much, though."

"What good could come from that?" Mokuba asked, his voice echoing the thoughts of the others. Going through so much—dealing with it all alone—how could anyone find anything good from that?

Seto gave his signature smirk—though it looked more like a mischievous grin—and yanked Joey toward him. The blond yelped, but that was soon drowned out by Seto kissing him. Turning red, Joey pushed him away in embarrassment, leaving Seto laughing.

Yami, Yugi, and Mokuba sat there, staring at them in silence before roaring, "YOU GUYS ARE TOGETHER?"

* * *

The tournament was about to begin. Duelists from around the world had arrived early to receive their new duel disks while various vendors had already set up shop throughout the city. Domino was abuzz with tourists, duelists, and anyone who knew what Duel Monsters was.

Electronic billboards illuminated the city, showing clips from the day of Mokuba's announcement. One particular clip—one of Yami's ugly sobbing as he hugged Seto—had become quite popular. And Yami was having a hard time looking people in the eye.

But before Yugi and the others had left the Game Shop for the tournament, they had constructed a plan to arrive at separate times to receive their duel disks before wandering the city in wait for the official start of the tournament. The decision was made to prevent all of them from being accosted by the media at once.

So Mokuba, being in charge of the event, had left first to prepare for the day's duels.

Yugi and Yami had left next, but Seto and Joey figured it was because Yugi was afraid of Tea accusing him of being a liar if they left together. He was a liar, but he wasn't going to admit that. So he and Yami showed up before Seto and Joey made their appearance.

That was when Seto and Joey finally showed up. However, to their surprise, they weren't immediately assaulted by the media, but by someone else.

"Joey Wheeler!" Tea shouted from amongst the crowd.

His head shooting upward, Joey's eyes landed on Tea—who was followed by Mai—as she stormed toward him looking like one of Mai's Harpy Ladies…except a bit more ferocious.

"Joey!" Another voice—that of Tristan—shouted at him, too. He also headed his way.

Before Joey had a chance to respond, he found himself surrounded by Tea, Mai, and Tristan, who began berating him with question after question. But that didn't last for very long, if the reunion initiated by hugging was any indication.

"Where have you been, Joey?" Tea exclaimed through her vice-grip of a hug.

"I was with…Seto," he explained. His friends froze for a minute before all hell broke loose.

Tristan was the first to round on Seto. "What the hell happened? Why was Joey with you? How come you didn't let him contact us?"

"Guys, ya got it all wrong!" Joey interceded. "I left with him for a reason. He didn't force me to do anythin'."

"It's true," Seto added. He was starting to feel like a broken record. "I had a nervous breakdown and Joey decided to help me. I didn't want anyone to know what was going on with me, so I made him promise not to tell anyone. However, I never asked him to not contact any of you. His reasons for doing that are up to him to tell you."

Everyone paused.

"It's true then?" questioned Tristan. "You really had a nervous breakdown?"

"Yes," Seto replied.

"And you and Joey are really teaming up together for this tournament?" Mai inquired, eyebrow raised as she crossed her arms.

"Yeah," said Joey.

Mai shook her head and laughed. "Well, we'll see how that goes. I've always known you two to fight like cats and dogs. But it is great to have you guys back. We missed you. I understand the reasons for your leaving are your own, just don't disappear on us again without saying anything, all right?"

At this, Seto smiled. "You don't have to worry about that. We're not leaving anyone anytime soon. Things are better now."

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Blondie."

Joey spun around and inwardly groaned when he noticed it was Bandit Keith who was taunting him. "Why are ya callin' me that? You're a blond, too."

Keith paused before snarling at him. "It doesn't matter. When I heard you losers were partnering up, I just knew me and my partner would wipe the floor with you."

Searching the crowd, he noticed that Duke had walked up to Keith. "Ya partnered with Duke?" he deadpanned.

"Duke?" echoed Keith, looking baffled. He paused and stared at his partner. "You mean that chick's a _dude_?"

"Of course I'm a guy, you idiot!" Duke shouted at him. "Believe me when I say you weren't my first choice for a partner!" As Keith wandered off rambling about his partner's gender, Duke approached Joey and gave him a quick hug. "I'm glad you're okay, but that doesn't mean I'll go easy on you."

"I don't expect anythin' less," replied Joey.

Suddenly, the clock struck nine. The Tag-Team Duel Monsters Tournament was officially underway.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	6. Chapter 6 - Heart of the Cards

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 6 – Heart of the Cards**

_"Duke?" echoed Keith, looking baffled. He paused and stared at his partner. "You mean that chick's a dude?"_

_"Of course I'm a guy, you idiot!" Duke shouted at him. "Believe me when I say you weren't my first choice for a partner!" As Keith wandered off rambling about his partner's gender, Duke approached Joey and gave him a quick hug. "I'm glad you're okay, but that doesn't mean I'll go easy on you."_

_"I don't expect anythin' less," replied Joey._

_Suddenly, the clock struck nine. The Tag-Team Duel Monsters Tournament was officially underway._

* * *

Kaede quickly made his way down the streets of Domino, the start of the tournament only being moments away. An idea had hatched in his mind after his conversation with Pegasus the other day.

It did seem awfully strange how Seto had changed his name from Kaiba to Takayama. What was in a name, anyway? Had Seto hated the name Kaiba? If so, why? Why change a name that represented power, dominance…wait. That was it. It finally became clear.

Gozaburo. That was the answer. Gozaburo Kaiba. Seto's father. He had to be the reason for the name change. But why? What would make someone hate a name so much?

Perhaps it had something to do with Seto's mental breakdown everyone seemed to be whispering about. If it proved to be true, was the changing of Seto's name meant for therapeutic purposes? And if he was correct, he might have found something Pegasus and Zigfried could use against the so-called new and improved Seto Takayama.

* * *

As soon as the clock struck nine, Mokuba's face appeared on the electronic billboards dispersed throughout the city. His voice, resonating like a god from above, hung in the air, creating tension and excitement all at once.

"Greetings, everyone!" Mokuba announced with a smile. "The Tag-Team Duel Monsters Tournament will officially be underway in a matter of minutes. But first, let's go through a few things.

"Duelists, when you are alerted by your duel disks, you need to get to your location in time and duel. If you fail to show up on time, you will be disqualified. There is no getting around that. Sensors are in each dueling location. If the sensors don't pick up the signal your duel disks give off at the time you should be there, your duel disks will be disabled, preventing you from participating in the tournament. Additionally, if you lose, you will be disqualified.

"Each team can expect to duel at least once a day. Calculations and readjustments will be made accordingly for participants throughout the course of the tournament. Each team will also have a total of 8,000 Life Points. We expect the duels to be quite impressive and show a great amount of skill. So good luck and may the best team win!"

* * *

"This is going to be a long tournament," stated Ryou, following closely behind Bakura and Marik.

"Especially if they get far," added Malik. They felt like parents supervising their children.

"Knowing them, I wouldn't be surprised if they made it to the finals," said Ryou. Then his expression became concerned. "Oh, dear."

"What?"

"Look." Ryou pointed out Seto, whom Bakura seemed to make a beeline for. "Let's mediate before this gets out of hand."

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," stated Bakura, eyeing Seto up and down. Joey raised an eyebrow at him.

"Bakura," Seto greeted with a nod.

"You look like you killed Kuriboh and stuck it on your head," Bakura said with a smirk. Marik laughed in response.

Seto, however, just shrugged and acted as if the comment hadn't fazed him. "Good luck in the tournament, Bakura. Marik," he said before walking off with Joey.

Standing there looking absolutely dumbfounded, all Marik and Bakura seemed capable of doing was opening and closing their mouths. They hadn't expected that type of response from him. What happened to the retaliation? The yelling? The threatening? Where was _Kaiba_?

"He's been replaced by a pod person," deadpanned Marik.

"How many times must I tell you to stop watching those strange movies," said Bakura as he smacked his partner in the back of the head. "He is not a pod person. Just like that Jell-O wasn't from that _Blob_ movie."

"_Flubber_," Marik corrected. "And for your information, food should not jiggle. It should stay dead."

"What? Jell-O isn't alive, you idiot!"

"Then why does it move? Food shouldn't be moving on its own! If it's moving on its own, it's alive!"

"It's not alive!" Bakura insisted.

"Yes, it—!"

"Why are we arguing about fucking Jell-O? We have more important things to do!" snapped Bakura as he finally lost his patience. "Like getting _Seto_ to act like _Kaiba_."

Ryou and Malik groaned. "You're right," said Malik. "This is going to be a very long tournament."

* * *

Having won their first duel, Yugi and Yami approached one of the billboards, hoping to find one of their friends dueling. Seto and Joey soon came up behind them.

"Hi, Joey! Seto!" Yugi greeted enthusiastically. "Have you two dueled yet? We did! And won!"

"Yeah, we had our duel. Won, too," said Joey, though he seemed disappointed.

"What's wrong?" asked Yami.

"Well," started Joey.

"It was horrible," said Seto. "They kept…_staring_ at me."

"Yeah. I guess they were kinda star struck or whatever. They kept makin' weird moves. Like settin' trap cards in the monster zone. Eventually, an official had to come in and stop the duel. Disqualified the team, too."

"Isn't that a little…harsh?" wondered Yugi.

Seto sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Not when you make your first move and then they stare at you for a full fifteen minutes."

Joey chuckled. "Seto even waved his hand in front of their faces a few times to get them to snap out of it. I think it made it worse, though."

"Don't remind me," Seto groaned. "That's not how I wanted our first duel to go."

"I know," said Joey as he hugged Seto's left arm and put his head on his shoulder. "It'll be better next time…I hope."

"Ooh! Look! Duke and Keith are dueling!" Yugi announced suddenly. He tugged frantically at Yami's sleeve. "Let's go! They're at the plaza! We might be able to catch the duel!"

"Sounds like fun," said Joey. It would be best to check out the competition. He pulled Seto by the arm, guiding them as they followed Yami and Yugi to the plaza.

There was already a large crowd around Keith and Duke and whomever they were dueling; they weren't anyone Joey recognized. And he could tell just by the look on Duke's face that this duel was over. He and Keith were going to win.

Duke's mouth quirked up into a feral grin when it was his turn. "I summon Lava Golem to your side of the field!" he announced, sacrificing two of his opponents' monsters. "And now I activate Ojama Trio. This trap card allows me to summon three Ojama Tokens onto your side of the field!

"Next, I'll activate Flash of the Forbidden Spell, destroying Lava Golem and those three Ojama Tokens." With the Ojama Tokens being destroyed, his opponents took 300 points of damage per token.

"And I'm not done yet!" continued Duke. "Now I attack you with both my Neo-Spacian Dark Panther and E-Hero Neos!"

The crowd cheered and applauded with gusto as the opponents of Keith and Duke dropped to their knees in defeat.

"It looks like his style has changed a bit," commented Seto. He narrowed his eyes as if recalculating everything he'd just seen.

"Yeah," Joey replied. "But I don't think anyone will be a problem for us. We've got a few tricks up our sleeves, too."

"Joey!" Duke greeted after giving Keith a high-five for winning. "Did you see that?"

"I saw it," answered the blond as he crossed his arms. "I was just talkin' to Seto about it. Ya got better."

"Don't you know it," he said. "I'm looking forward to facing off against you."

"If ya even get that far," Joey teased.

"Oh, we'll get that far," said Duke. He was practically nose to nose with Joey now. But when Seto cleared his throat, he backed away.

Stepping closer to Joey—because it seemed to him that Duke was flirting with that playful banter of his—he placed his arm gently around Joey's hips. "We'll see you later," he said, trying to guide Joey away from him.

"Going already?" instigated Keith, intercepting them.

Not liking the tension that was building, Yugi decided to step in. "It was really a great duel, you guys!" But Duke and Keith ignored him.

"Just a few questions before you two wander off," started Duke. "Can you guys actually…_duel_ together? Have you even won your first duel? You two aren't known for getting along, exactly."

"We work quite well together," Seto answered. "And we did win our first duel."

"Not by skill, I'm told," responded Duke as he smirked at them. "But we'll see." And with that, he and Keith wandered off into the crowd.

"We should keep an eye on them," Joey muttered under his breath. "Somethin's up."

Seto nodded. "Don't go anywhere without me, either. I don't like the way Duke was looking at you."

"Aw, is someone jealous?" Joey teased lightly.

"No, I'm worried," he replied. "And you should be, too."

"Don't worry, Seto," said Joey, glancing around before he gave the brunet a quick kiss. "Nothin's gonna happen to me that I can't handle."

* * *

"I don't like meeting like this," Zigfried said from his spot in the darkened alley. He looked around in distaste. The smell of garbage—and who knew what else—was enough to make him want to boil his skin off.

"Even though we've won our first duel, hurry this up, Kaede. We don't have all day," said Pegasus, turning his nose up at their rendezvous point.

"I think I have a plan," started Kaede as he grinned. "I may have discovered something. I believe I know the cause for Seto's nervous breakdown."

"Oh?" Pegasus responded, eyebrows raised.

"You mean he was telling the truth?" questioned Zigfried, interest piqued.

"Yes. It checks out," continued Kaede. "I believe Gozaburo Kaiba may have been a factor in all this. The name change, everything. There had been rumors of…obvious tension between the two of them, but perhaps there was more to it than everyone thinks."

"So you think him changing his name to—what was it—Takayama may have been for…healing purposes?" deduced Pegasus.

Kaede gave a quick nod.

"Then I wonder what we might be able to do to set off a little episode with poor Seto Takayama," Zigfried said in a mocking voice. "I want to make him crack."

At this, Kaede grinned. "I already have a plan."

* * *

"Where is everyone?" Yugi sighed in exasperation as he walked with Yami. It was day two of the tournament and they'd already won their second duel. "We haven't been able to see any of our friends really duel yet. I mean, there's Mai and Tea, Bakura and Marik, and not to mention Seto and Joey."

"There's still plenty of time to see everyone duel, Yugi. It's only the second day. And we have weeks of this tournament," said Yami as he patted his friend on the shoulder.

"They're dueling!" someone shouted from behind them.

Yugi turned just in time to nearly being run over by a small crowd of duelists. Yami caught him, however, before he could fall and get trampled to death.

"What's going on?" Yami asked loudly as he helped Yugi back up.

"Didn't you hear?" said another from the crowd. "Joey and Seto are dueling right now! Toward the center of the city! Hurry or you'll miss it!"

They didn't have to be told that twice. Yami and Yugi scampered off with the rest of them, determined to make it in time to see their friends duel.

"Can you believe they're dueling together?" someone said.

"I know, right? And their style has changed drastically!" added another.

"And it's totally different from yesterday, too! Well, with what I could get out of that duel, anyway. That other team sucked."

Yugi pushed his way through the crowd once they got to where Seto and Joey were dueling, but it was hard to see because of all the people. Managing to squeeze through to the front of the crowd, Yami and Yugi were finally able to make out Seto's figure. And it looked like it was his turn.

"I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior!" announced Seto. "And now I activate Premature Burial and target Big Koala. Then I chain with Dust Tornado, destroying your face down card. I also chain with Soul Reversal, targeting Des Koala. Next, I chain with Miraculous Rebirth, targeting White-Horned Dragon!"

The other duelists seemed flabbergasted by Seto's card combo, but he wasn't finished yet.

"I now activate White-Horned Dragon and target all spell cards on the field."

Yami's eyes widened when he noticed something. Seto's Blue-Eyes White Dragon was on his opponent's side of the field. And he wasn't acting rashly?

"I attack Blue-Eyes White Dragon with White-Horned Dragon," Seto continued. When Blue-Eyes White Dragon was destroyed, he finished off his attack with Big Koala and Breaker the Magical Warrior. He and Joey had won.

"They won!" Yugi cried as he cheered with the crowd.

Yami, however, remained silent as he stood there looking stunned. He was amazed by how much Seto had matured in regards to his Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Before, Seto would have done anything—and quickly—to remove his dragon from his opponent's possession, if his duel with Joey back at Battle City had been any indication. But Seto had remained level-headed during his entire turn; as if someone else possessing his Blue-Eyes hadn't bothered him.

And he had to say that he was mightily impressed. But what had made him change so much?

* * *

Seto and Joey were sitting on a wooden bench when Mokuba sat beside his brother. The brunet, who was looking intently at a newspaper, seemed to block out the world as Mokuba began watching Marik and Bakura duel.

"Joey?" Seto started, drawing the blond's attention away from the duel. "How much money do we have?"

Joey thought the question was rather odd coming from him. Seto hadn't really paid much attention to their finances for quite some time. "Plenty," he answered simply.

Seto then looked back down at the newspaper. "Do we have enough for this?" he asked, pointing at a foreclosure listing.

Glancing down to where Seto pointed, Joey analyzed the listing. When he realized just what he was looking at, he smiled. "We have plenty for that. And to fix it up, furnish it, and then some."

Pleased with Joey's answer, Seto smiled slightly before folding up the newspaper and turning his attention to the duel. "We'll check out the house this weekend when the duels are finished for the week," he said.

Mokuba's head perked up at that. "What? We're getting a house?"

"Yes," replied Seto. "It will most likely be a fixer upper. There will be plenty of work to do, but yes, we will be getting a house together. It's time we were more of a family."

At this, Joey looked down at the ground. He kicked at the pebbles in front of him with his feet before Seto finally spoke up. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

Joey sighed and flopped backward on the bench, his eyes now looking at the sky. "I've been tryin' to call Serenity. But I keep gettin' hold of my mom instead. And she won't let me talk to her. I really wanna see Serenity, but she won't let me."

Seto observed Joey's saddened expression. "We'll find a way for you to see her," he said, grabbing the blond's hand and stroking it with his thumb.

Suddenly, a loud cackle drew their attention back to the duel. It seemed it was Bakura's turn.

"I activate Back to Square One and discard Ruin, Queen of Oblivion and target Jinzo! Now I shall activate Fissure! With that, I summon Manju of the Ten Thousand and activate its effect, which allows me to target the only card I can," he stated maliciously. "Then I activate the lovely Ectoplasmer! Now I activate Ritual Foregone and target Shinato, King of a Higher Plane! And with that, I end my turn!"

As soon as it became Bakura's end phase, Ectoplasmer activated—targeting Shinato, King of a Higher Plane—and depleted his opponents' life points to zero.

"It looks like the manic duo won their duel," Joey commented idly.

"They make a good team," Seto concluded. "They'll be hard to beat."

Joey nodded before looking over at Mokuba. He got up and sat next to the small kid. It was time they talked somewhat. "How're ya feelin'? Are ya okay with me and Seto bein'…ya know, a couple? Would ya be okay with us all livin' together?"

Seto tensed when he heard where the conversation was going. What if Mokuba was uncomfortable with the choices he was making? Where would that put him?

"It…was a shock at first," Mokuba replied slowly. "But I do see how happy you make Seto, Joey. And that makes me happy, too."

Out of anything Joey could have done, Mokuba wasn't expecting to be glomped on the spot. "I'm so glad! I can't wait for us to be together like a family and do family stuff! But first, we gotta take part in this tournament by eatin' somethin' from the vendors!"

Seto breathed a sigh of relief. It looked like things were going to go smoothly after all.

"And it all starts with a churro!" Joey continued as he stood from the bench, his fist rising in the air. "Ya guys want a churro, right?"

"I don't even know what a churro is," stated Seto. He raised an eyebrow when Joey got hyper in response.

"It's awesome is what it is!" he crowed before scampering off to get churros.

Seto smiled after him. If something like a churro made Joey _that_ bouncy, it was bound to be good.

"Seto?" Mokuba started, his expression serious. "Do you love Joey?"

The brunet turned to face his brother and smiled at him warmly. "Yes. I do. Very much. I hope you can have it in your heart to accept that. I love you, Mokuba."

Mokuba smiled back at him, hugging his brother tightly. "I can accept that. And I love you, too, big brother." Especially when it meant that he was going to have a family again—even if it was getting a little bit bigger. But this time around, it was filled with more love and compassion.

* * *

"So how are we going to make him snap?" questioned Marik as he and Bakura spied on Seto from a distance.

"Let me think for a minute," answered Bakura. He really wanted to get 'Seto' to act like 'Kaiba.' Frankly, this whole "he got better" shtick was unnerving him. "Who are they watching duel, anyway?"

"I think it's Yugi and Yami," replied Marik, peaking above the bush he was hiding behind. "And it looks like they're winning."

"Of course. But we'll deal with them later," he said as an idea struck him. "Marik, go and get some ice cream."

Marik nodded diligently. "What flavor?"

"It doesn't matter."

"What? How can the flavor not matter? That's the best part about picking ice cream! The flavor!"

"It's not for me, you idiot! It's for Seto!"

"Oh," replied Marik softly. "What flavor does he like then?"

"Just get some fucking ice cream!" Bakura hissed at him, causing his partner to run off in the direction of an ice cream vendor. Now all he had to do was get closer. And as he did so, he spotted Yugi's finishing move.

"I activate Dimension Fusion and target Sacred Crane!" shouted Yugi, who looked quite enthused. "Now I flip summon my Penguin Soldier and target your Sacred Crane. I also summon Dark Magician of Chaos and activate his effect, targeting Dimension Fusion!"

The crowd roared in excitement.

"I activate the spell card Dimensional Fissure," Yugi continued. "Now I activate Confiscation and target your Sacred Crane. And finally, I activate Dimension Fusion and target your Sacred Crane!"

Bakura groaned as he realized his self-proclaimed enemies had won yet another duel. Why did they have to win?

"Bakura, I got the ice cream!" Marik said excitedly as he approached him. "But I didn't know if you wanted it in a cone or a cup, so I got both."

Rolling his eyes, Bakura snatched the ice cream cone from Marik and crept closer to Seto, who still had his back turned to him. As soon as the brunet turned around, however, Bakura rushed forward, the ice cream cone smashing against Seto's chest.

Bakura dropped the mess from his hands. "Oh, I'm so sorry," he said in a sarcastic tone. Fully expecting Seto to go off at him, he braced himself for the eruption of Mount Kaiba.

But it didn't happen.

"Do you have a napkin?" Seto asked, looking down at his now ice cream stained shirt. "I'd like to clean this off."

Yugi and Yami, who had just approached them, eyed the scene in apprehension and confusion. Why wasn't Seto strangling Bakura right now?

"I…don't have a napkin," Bakura responded, not really knowing how to say.

Seto began wiping the ice cream off his shirt with his hand, licking his fingers clean of the stickiness when Joey approached him with napkins. After cleaning himself off some more, Seto raised his gaze to Bakura. "Would you like me to buy you another ice cream?"

Bakura's jaw hit the floor, Yami and Yugi's following suit. Joey, on the other hand, just smirked.

"What? But—huh? What the hell is wrong with you?" Bakura demanded. "Why aren't you getting angry at me?"

"That wasn't a reason for me to get angry," Seto replied simply. "There was no point. Regardless of whether _that_ was an accident or not, I'd still have to clean myself up. Why work myself up unnecessarily over something as minimal as ice cream on a shirt? Come on, Joey. Let's go find Mokuba and get some lunch."

As Bakura watched the two of them walk off as if nothing had even happened, Marik approached him. "I think I like this Seto," he said, eating the ice cream he held.

Bakura snatched the ice cream from him and smashed it on his head. "Shut up!" he snapped, obviously peeved over the incident. Or was he? He wasn't quite sure what to feel exactly.

"Hey! My ice cream!" Marik cried as it started to melt and run down his face. Huffing, he shook the ice cream from his hair and began following Seto and Joey.

"Where the hell are you going?" Bakura inquired as he frowned.

"To get ice cream. Maybe this nice Seto will buy me some," he cheered as he caught up to them.

"Moron," Bakura muttered to himself. "And what the hell are you looking at, starfish-heads?"

Yami glared at him. "I don't know. What am I looking at you…you…dork!"

"Oh, Yami," Yugi mumbled as he covered his face in embarrassment for him. Yami might be great at games, but he sucked when it came to name-calling. And calling Bakura a dork—above all things—just flat-out sucked.

"Me? A dork?" Bakura raged. "Well, at least I don't look like a fly swatter!"

"Hold on a minute," he said before turning to Yugi. "What's a fly swatter?"

"It's…something you use to swat flies with," he explained. Hadn't the name been enough to give that away?

"I am no fly swatter!" Yami continued to shout at Bakura. "But even if I was, I'd be a much better fly swatter than you!"

"Is that a challenge?" inquired Bakura, stepping closer to Yami.

"I think it is," dared Yami. "The person to swat the most flies in an hour wins. Yugi will be the judge."

"Huh? What? No! Yugi will not be the judge!" Yugi protested, arms flailing. How the hell had he gotten dragged into this?

But no one had paid any attention to his outburst, for Yami and Bakura were already heading toward a dumpster. Their fly-swatting competition had begun.

* * *

"Can we see the house today? Please?" Mokuba begged as he gripped his brother's jacket in his hands.

"We'll see it tomorrow since it'll be Saturday. That way we'll have the whole day to inspect it and whatnot," Seto replied.

"Ugh," Mokuba groaned as he put his hands on the guard rail so that he could continue watching the duel that was taking place. Ishizu and Odion had entered together and it was currently Odion's turn.

"I activate Confiscation and target Armed Dragon LV3," said Odion. "Next, I summon E-Hero Stratos and activate its effect, targeting E-Hero Ocean. Now I activate Fake Hero and target E-Hero Ocean. I then activate Level Down!? and target Armed Dragon LV7 and replace it with Armed Dragon LV3 in face up attack position. Finally, I attack you with both E-Hero Stratos and E-Hero Heat!"

"Okay, the duel's over. Can we please see the house now?" Mokuba began whining again. "No one else we know is dueling today!"

Seto watched Mokuba jump up and down while he begged and tugged at his clothes. Joey was the first to cave in. "We might as well," said Joey. "It's not like we're doin' anythin' else today. Let's go check it out."

Suddenly, Seto looked a bit hesitant, as if unsure about if they should go…at all.

"Everythin' will be fine, Seto," Joey whispered to him. "It'll be fine." He then gave Seto a quick kiss on the lips.

Which only made a bystander scream.

"Uh-oh," Joey muttered as the people standing around them looked on wide-eyed. "Everyone's gonna know we're together now, huh?"

"I suppose so," Seto said with a short laugh as he placed his arm around Joey's waist. "Now let's go see the house."

* * *

"Is everything going according to plan?" Zigfried asked Kaede, his face stone hard and expressionless.

"Yes," Kaede replied as he withered under the firm gaze. "At the start of Round Two of the tournament next week, Seto will be a complete mess. You can count on that."

"And does Mokuba know what you're planning? Or the other members of the board for that matter?" inquired Pegasus.

"Not for the time being, no. Let's just say this will be something that happens at the last minute. It'll be too late to make any changes by then. Once Mokuba steps in to halt the proceedings, the damage will have already been done."

"You'd best hope your plan works, Kaede," snarled Zigfried. "Or you'll find yourself looking for another job!"

* * *

Joey pulled their rental car up to a rundown looking house. He could sense Seto staring at the house with a mixture of apprehension and elation.

Being on the outskirts of Domino, the house was surrounded by more land than houses, giving the place a large yard to do who-knows-what with. There didn't seem to be a neighbor in sight, the nearest neighbor being about half a mile away and all, so the place appeared peaceful and quiet.

Mokuba took off his seatbelt and opened the door of the car as a strange feeling washed over him. Stepping out of the car, his feet landed on a gravel path, which crunched beneath his feet as he wandered aimlessly toward the large oak tree near the front of the dilapidated house. A large tire swing hung from one of its many large branches, but Mokuba wasn't about to try that out; he feared it would snap the minute he did.

He heard Seto and Joey get out of the car, turning his head to glance at them and noticed that they were holding hands. Focusing back on the oak tree, Mokuba approached it slowly. He circled its massive trunk a few times when something caught his attention. There was an engraving of some sort on the tree.

Stepping closer, Mokuba peered at the carving that had been worn down over the years. His hand reached out, fingers tracing the bark as if hoping touching the marks would ensure that they were indeed real.

They were. They were real.

"Seto and Mokie," he read aloud. The engraving was surrounded by a shabbily carved heart. Eyes widening, his heart slammed into his chest as the realization hit him. "We're at Mom and Dad's house?" he gasped, turning to face his brother.

Seto nodded carefully in response to Mokuba's question, not really sure what to expect from him.

"We're…we're getting Mom and Dad's house?" he asked, his voice cracking. Mokuba felt tears sting his eyes. Seto nodded to him again. "Really?"

"Yes," replied his brother, his voice just as raspy as Mokuba's. Joey gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

A small smile graced Mokuba's features as he turned back to the tree and traced his fingers over the carving again. They weren't getting a house. Not really. They were getting a home.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	7. Chapter 7 - How Much Longer

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 7 – How Much Longer**

_"We're…we're getting Mom and Dad's house?" he asked, his voice cracking. Mokuba felt tears sting his eyes. Seto nodded to him again. "Really?"_

_"Yes," replied his brother, his voice just as raspy as Mokuba's. Joey gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. _

_A small smile graced Mokuba's features as he turned back to the tree and traced his fingers over the carving again. They weren't getting a house. Not really. They were getting a home._

* * *

Mokuba glared murderously at Kaede, Masashi, and Hisao as his hands clenched tightly into fists. "You decided to do what?" he snapped. "You didn't think to speak to me about this beforehand and not an hour before Round Two of the tournament?"

Kaede, not to be intimidated by him, stood from his seat and towered over Mokuba as best as he could. "I really don't see the problem here, _sir_."

"You said this week will be a tribute to Gozaburo and you don't see a problem with that?" Mokuba yelled as he, too, rose to his feet.

"Mr. Kaiba," continued Kaede as if he was trying to placate him, "without Gozabura Kaiba, there would be no Kaiba Corp.; it wouldn't exist. You and your brother wouldn't be here. Why wouldn't we tribute to such a man?"

"You're not doing this," Mokuba hissed through his teeth. "Gozaburo was a cruel man. There is _no_ need to celebrate someone like him."

"I'm afraid you don't have a say in the matter," said Kaede. "The other board members and myself have agreed to the tribute. We therefore outrank you on the issue."

Mokuba's eyes snapped to Masashi and Hisao, who only looked down at their feet dejectedly. "If that's the case, then I refuse to make the announcement for this round of the tournament."

"A silent protest. How fun," muttered Kaede. "If that's the case, then I'll do it. You'll be replaced soon enough, anyway."

Mokuba turned on his heel and headed out of the conference room, slamming the door shut behind him before rushing off to find Seto. He had to warn him about what was going to happen before it was too late.

* * *

"Serenity, you are not seeing him and that's final!" her mother snapped, causing Serenity to flinch. She'd never seen her mother so angry before.

"But I want to see Joey," Serenity begged. Once she'd heard that her brother was back—safe and sound—she'd been so happy and relieved, even if a little hurt. But her mother had intercepted her every attempt to contact him. "Why won't you let me see him?"

"You are not seeing him," her mother insisted once more, hands on her hips as she narrowed her eyes at her daughter.

"I just want to go to Domino and see him. Just once. I don't have to be there for very long."

"You're not going, Serenity," she asserted. "Joseph is a bad influence. Do you want to turn out to be a delinquent like him?"

"Joey's not a delinquent. I love him. He loves me. He's my brother and he'll do anything to protect me. How can someone like that be a delinquent?"

"If you think he'll protect you so much, why don't you go stay with him then?" she replied angrily.

Clenching her fists at her sides, Serenity gathered up all the courage she could muster. "Maybe I will."

"What?" her mother gasped, not fully expecting her daughter to say such a thing. But soon she gathered her wits about her and approached Serenity until they were nearly nose to nose. "If you leave, you can never come back. I will not have a child who associates herself with the likes of him."

Feeling torn, Serenity fought back the tears that stung her eyes. "I really want to see Joey," she said quietly.

Taking that as her final decision, Serenity's mother glanced at the clock. "Fine. If that's what you really want. I'm giving you ten minutes to pack. Then you're out."

"What?" Serenity stammered, her eyes widening in bewilderment.

"Ten minutes. Pack. Then get out of my house."

* * *

Mokuba arrived at the plaza, panting as he tried to catch his breath. He needed to find Seto before Kaede made his announcement, but with so many duelists wandering about, it made the job nearly impossible.

Suddenly, Mokuba spotted Seto's head just above the crowd and could just make out Joey's figure standing next to him. Racing over to his brother, he gripped onto the back of Seto's coat. A warm hand guided him around to the brunet's front.

"Mokuba?" Seto asked, looking a bit perplexed. He wasn't sure if his younger brother was about to start crying or not; he appeared quite distraught. "Is everything all right?"

"No," Mokuba exhaled before taking in a shaky breath. "Kaede's going to make the announcement. I refused because of what he had planned. I wasn't able to overturn the decision."

Joey approached the smaller boy and rubbed his back comfortingly. "Take it easy, kid," he said when a tear slipped from Mokuba's eye. "What decision?"

Mokuba sniffed and rubbed his eyes. "Kaede's making this week's round of the tournament a tribute to Gozaburo. But I don't really know what he meant by that," he replied. He looked up at Seto and noticed him tensing somewhat.

"Seto," Joey called to him softly, immediately stepping to his side. "Hey, remember what we practiced for times like this? Hm?"

Seto nodded stiffly as the memory resurfaced.

* * *

**_Flashback_**

_"Seto, wake up!" Joey cried urgently as he tried to shake the brunet awake. When Seto finally woke, he relaxed. "Ya were havin' a nightmare."_

_Swallowing thickly, Seto sat up in the bed and wiped the cold sweat from his brow. Turning his head to the side, he looked out the cabin's window. It was still dark outside, which meant he'd probably woken Joey. "I'm sorry," he said quietly._

_"Ya don't have anythin' to be sorry for, Seto," replied Joey as he sighed. _

_"It doesn't feel that way," he continued as he lay back down on the bed. "I can't sleep. Whenever I try, I see…__**him**__. I just want to sleep through the night for once."_

_"I can try to help ya with that."_

_"How? Whenever I close my eyes, all I see is his face. He's always invading my thoughts."_

_Joey lay down next to him on the bed. "Ya need to train your mind to think about other stuff. Ya need to block him from your mind."_

_"That's easier said than done," Seto replied curtly._

_"Do ya trust me?" Joey asked quietly, his eyes boring in Seto's as if searching for his answer._

_Seto sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "You know I do."_

_"Then close your eyes and listen to my voice."_

_The brunet stifled a protest and closed his eyes. Although he believed that Joey probably wouldn't be able to help him, he trusted the blond enough to give it a try anyway._

_"Seto, I want ya to think about the happiest moment of your life. What was it?"_

_Taking a deep breath, Seto's mind worked through his memories until he found that one special moment. "When I became a brother."_

_"Okay, good. How did that moment make ya feel?"_

_"It made me feel…happy. At peace."_

_"Good. Try to remember that. Focus on Mokuba and the way that moment made ya feel."_

_As Seto did so, he began to relax while Joey continued to speak soothingly toward him, advising him to think about Mokuba and the feeling of becoming a big brother. Eventually, Seto drifted off to sleep, a small smile on his face. Joey smiled alongside him, stroking the brunet's hair as his eyes also drifted closed._

**_End Flashback_**

* * *

"Gozaburo doesn't rule your life anymore," said Joey as he hugged Seto around the middle. "There might be some reminders from time to time, but he isn't here anymore. You have control. And if ya ever feel that control slippin', close your eyes and think back to the happiest moment of your life and focus on that feelin'."

Seto rested his chin atop Joey's head as he closed his eyes. Relaxing, a smile came to his face as he felt his nerves calm.

"See what havin' Mokuba does for ya?" Joey said as he poked Seto in the stomach.

"Mokuba's not the only one I have now," replied Seto as he opened his eyes. "I have you, too. And as long as I do, we'll deal with anything thrown at us. We'll overcome it…together."

"Yeah," agreed Joey, smiling up at him. He pulled Mokuba toward them and gave them both a hug. "We'll do it together."

"Greetings, duelists!"

Everyone jolted to attention as Kaede's face appeared on the billboards, looking quite smug. "Round Two of the tournament is about to begin. And in doing so, this week will be in tribute to Gozaburo Kaiba. Had it not been for him, Kaiba Corp. would not exist and this tournament would not be taking place. And with that, I wish all of you the best of luck. May the duels begin!"

Joey narrowed his eyes at the billboard as Kaede's face disappeared, only to be replaced with that of Gozaburo's. He had to admit, this unnerved him slightly. If these images were around all the time—for the whole week—he wasn't sure how Gozaburo wouldn't invade Seto's thoughts. And that worried him more than anything.

* * *

"I can't believe what's happening," Yugi said. "Do you think Seto's okay?"

"I hope so," replied Yami. "But this can't be good for him. Not from what we've heard about his past."

"Yeah," sighed Yugi. He paused abruptly, however, when he spotted Seto and Joey sitting together on a bench, causing Yami to slam into his back. "Ow!"

"Sorry, but you stopped so suddenly! Why—?"

"Look," Yugi said as he pointed.

Yami's eyes followed Yugi's gaze until they landed on Seto and Joey. The brunet sat on a bench, his face completely expressionless as Joey sat next to him while stroking his back and whispering in his ear.

"I'm really worried," said Yugi. "Why would that Kaede person do something like this?"

"I don't think it's just Kaede. I believe Pegasus and Zigfried are involved in this somehow, too," replied Yami, his eyes now wandering over to where Pegasus and Zigfried were dueling.

"I activate Demotion and target Spirit Reaper!" announced Pegasus with a laugh. "Next, I summon Luster Dragon #2 by sacrificing Goblin Attack Force. Now I shall attack you with my Luster Dragon #2! I then activate The Shallow Grave and target Goblin Attack Force! And now for the grand finale! I activate Thunder Crash!"

When his and Zigfried's opponents' life points dropped to zero, Pegasus grinned and looked up at Seto, giving him a wink. Seto remained expressionless. However, Joey was the one who turned a heated glare toward Pegasus in return; a glare that unnerved him greatly. It was then that Pegasus realized that Joey seemed to be Seto's strength. Take him out of the picture and Seto was bound to follow suit.

* * *

She was finally here; she'd finally made it to Domino. Serenity clutched the small tote bag she held in her hand, which held all that she could pack during the ten minute time limit her mother had given her. It wasn't much, but that didn't matter. What did was finding her brother. But how?

Serenity didn't have a cell phone since her mother had taken it away, and she didn't even know how to contact Joey even if she was able. Plus, her mother hadn't allowed her any money to leave with to begin with, so finding a phone was out of the question, too.

Taking a deep breath, she began walking through the city, trying to spot a familiar face amongst the crowds that swarmed the place. Growing frustrated, she let out a soft cry and rubbed at her eyes. Now was not the time for tears. She had to find her brother.

"I activate Creature Swap, switching Spirit Reaper for Dark Ruler Van'Dalgyon!"

Serenity's head shot up. That was Mai's voice. It had to be. She was dueling? Pushing her way through the crowd, Serenity finally spotted Mai, and with her, Tea. They were dueling together.

"I now tribute Spirit Reaper to summon Dark Ruler Ha Des," continued Mai. "And I activate Owner's Seal. Now I attack with both my monsters. With that, I activate Ring of Destruction and target Dark Ruler Ha Des, reducing your life points to zero!"

As soon as the duel finished, Serenity couldn't hold back anymore. She raced over to Mai and Tea and threw herself at them, dropping her bag on the ground.

"Serenity?" Tea started, stunned by her sudden appearance.

"Serenity," Mai said as she hugged the girl. She hugged her back when Serenity began crying. "What're you doing here? What's wrong?"

"My mom kicked me out because I wanted to see Joey," she sobbed. "I can't go home and I don't know where Joey is. I don't know what to do!"

"It's okay, Serenity," said Tea, rubbing her back soothingly. "We'll help you find Joey. Don't worry."

Serenity nodded, but still continued to cry while Mai and Tea comforted her in the best way they knew how.

* * *

"Why are you so smug?" inquired Zigfried, arms crossed as he and Pegasus watched the duel taking place. Keith and Duke were dueling some apparent no-names.

"Kaede's plan doesn't seem to be working," explained Pegasus, "so I've come up with a little something of my own."

"Oh?"

"Yes. It appears our dear Seto-boy isn't snapping like I thought he would. Joey seems to be the one holding him together. Take him out of the picture and Seto is as good as finished."

"And how do you plan on doing that? No one is foolish enough to do something so rash."

At this Pegasus smirked. "I wouldn't say that," he said, his eyes returning to the duel at hand.

"I activate Mind Control and target Cannon Soldier," announced Keith. "Now I activate Windstorm of Etaqua and chain with Tragedy. Then I activate Monster Reborn and target Perfect Machine King. I now attack Spirit Reaper with Perfect Machine King and Cyber-Stein. Next, I activate Cannon Soldier, so I tribute Perfect Machine King and Cyber-Stein!"

Keith cackled to himself, ecstatic over their win. But now he had to take care of a little business for Pegasus. Sure, taking Joey out of the picture would be easy enough, but how to do it without anyone realizing it was him would take careful consideration. Maybe it would turn out well if he took out Joey from behind.

Smirking to himself, Keith made his way through the hordes of duelists and fans, determined to find Joey.

"Where are you going?"

Keith paused when Duke grabbed his arm to stop him. "Geez, can't a guy get a break once in awhile?"

Duke sighed. "Whatever," he said before walking away.

"Hn." Keith straightened out his jacket and proceeded through the crowd. "Now, if I were you, where would I be?" he asked aloud, his eyes scouring every face they came in contact with. "And there you are."

Smirking once again, Keith pushed by more people until he was right behind Joey. With this many people, no one would know who did it. So, taking his duel disk, he raised his arm and swung it forward toward the back of Joey's head.

But someone grabbed his wrist before he could bring it down. "What the—?" Keith flinched when he felt a hand suddenly grab him around the neck and slammed him against a nearby wall. Seto had him pinned, a murderous glare on his face. The people around them grew quiet.

Yugi and Yami, who were standing off in the distance, looked on quietly, terrified by Seto's sudden change in demeanor.

Joey turned around, freezing momentarily when he saw what Seto was doing. This was bad. This was very bad. Racing over toward the brunet, he gripped Seto's arm and tried to get him to release Keith. "Seto, stop."

But the brunet didn't seem to be listening. His eyes were glued to Keith.

"Seto, please! Stop!" Joey begged, trying to put himself between them so Seto's eyes would land only on him.

Seto's hold faltered and he released Keith's neck, which caused the man to gasp for air. "If you ever lay a hand on Joey again, it will be the last thing you ever do," he ground out as he turned on his heel and left.

"Ya got lucky, Keith," Joey exhaled shakily. "If ya had hit me or whatever…there woulda been no way in hell anyone could've stopped him."

"Crazy," Keith gasped. "He's crazy!"

"Listen up," Joey snapped, pushing Keith's chest so his back hit the wall. "Why don't ya stop doin' the dirty work of other people before somethin' bad happens to ya?"

Stepping away, Joey's eyes landed on Pegasus, who seemed to look on in interest. Giving him a glare, the blond raced after Seto to make sure he was all right.

Pegasus narrowed his eyes after him as he began wondering if his target should be Seto rather than Joey. It appeared he had some serious thinking to do.

* * *

Seto gripped the counter to the kitchen sink so tightly, his knuckles turned white. Staring outside the window, he vaguely realized night had fallen. His reflection—two cold eyes and a hard face—stared back at him menacingly. Clenching his teeth, he swallowed hard as his breathing became heavier and heavier. A sense of inner peace was the furthest thing from his grasp.

His hand blindly reached for something to throw, and when he grabbed a tall drinking glass, he hurled it at the wall. Then he snatched something else and threw that, too. It was becoming a seemingly endless cycle as his rage consumed him. Someone had tried to hurt Joey. He couldn't let that happen.

"Stop it, Seto!" Yami shouted as he tried to prevent the brunet from further destroying objects in the Game Shop.

Joey pushed him away. "Everyone, out!" he demanded. "Get out now!"

Yami, however, refused to listen. He forced himself passed Joey and gripped Seto's arm in his hand in an attempt to stop him.

But Seto didn't seem to be aware of the intention. Instead, he pulled back his free arm and punched Yami in the face. "Get away from me!" he snapped.

Yami stumbled backward as Joey rushed forward.

"Joey, don't!" Yugi yelled, fearing that his friend would get hurt. Mokuba stood rooted to his spot.

"He won't hurt me," Joey replied as he stepped in front of Seto just as he threw another punch. Seto's eyes flashed for a moment as realization of who he was aiming at struck him. But it was enough time to change his target.

Seto's fist collided hard with the wall next to Joey's head. The brunet stilled. Joey slowly began to rub his hands up and down Seto's arms. "It's okay," Joey said softly, trying to get the brunet to relax. "Everythin's gonna be okay."

"What did I do?" Seto asked quietly as his mind began to clear. "I'm sorry," he said, raising his injured hand to Joey's face. "I almost hurt you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Joey consoled him. "Let me take care of ya now, all right?"

Seto nodded stiffly as the blond guided him toward a chair. Once the brunet was seated, Joey opened the cabinet under the kitchen sink and took out the first-aid kit. Then he set about taking care of the cuts and bruises Seto suffered from his outburst. Yugi, Yami, and Mokuba watched on in eerie silence.

Feeling that Seto had finally calmed down enough, Joey led him into the living room and onto the couch. Settling the brunet down, he made his way back to the kitchen.

"The next time I tell ya to do somethin', ya do it!" Joey snapped at Yami in a low voice as he rounded on him.

"He was destroying stuff, Joey. Or did you miss that?" argued Yami.

"And that's all it is! Stuff!" Joey countered. "If ya care more about stuff than a person then your priorities are just as fucked up as Pegasus and Zigfried's!"

"So we should just let him destroy our home then? And what about me? He hit me!"

"I warned ya. I told ya to leave. Ya didn't. That was your own fault. We told ya before that if I ever start tellin' ya to do somethin' regardin' Seto that ya'd have to listen to me," Joey lectured, his temper getting the better of him. "We'll pay for the damages…and we'll be outta here by the end of the week then."

"You don't have to do that, Joey," Yugi cut in, hoping to appease his friend.

"It doesn't matter. We're movin' into our house, anyway. This way, if Seto has another outburst, ya won't have to worry about gettin' hurt or your stuff messed up," he said curtly.

"Is…that what Seto was like before he disappeared?" Mokuba asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Joey grew quiet for a moment. "He was worse," he replied. "Seto never wanted anyone to see him like that. Never mention how he acted today to him. That would hurt him more than help him. He never wanted you to see him like this, Mokuba. It's one of the reasons we had to leave.

"But Seto acted the way he did just now because he thought my life was in danger from earlier. The whole thing with Keith. Seto's really protective over the ones he cares about. He probably felt he lost control over the situation and just snapped under the pressure.

"With everythin' we've been through together for the past year, we completely depend on each other. I don't know if we could function without each other anymore. It's probably not healthy, but that's the way it is now."

"What do you mean?" Yugi asked.

* * *

**_Flashback_**

_Joey tried to get out of bed, but he was just too tired. His head throbbed painfully as his body broke out into a cold sweat. He could already feel the sickness resting heavily in his chest. But even though he could feel himself burning up with fever, he still had to take care of Seto._

_Bracing his palms on the mattress, he pushed himself up, only to be pushed back down again._

_"Stay."_

_Joey looked blearily above him. Seto stared down at him solemnly._

_"Stay," Seto repeated. "I'll take care of you."_

_The blond tried to relax, but the thought of Seto taking care of him unnerved him greatly. Seto couldn't do it, could he? Not with the state he was in._

_But he was wrong. _

_As the days passed, Seto fed him soup, helped him to and from the bathroom, and did everything under the sun._

_Except for taking care of himself. _

_Once Joey was better, he finally got a good look at Seto. The brunet appeared to be more of a skeleton than anything else. Seto had been so worried for Joey that he'd neglected to look after himself._

_"Why?" That was the only question Joey could somehow manage to get out when he stepped in front of Seto. He didn't understand._

_The brunet shook his head. "There would have been no point in taking care of myself if you weren't here," he said, his voice scratchy and hoarse. "I meant what I said before. I can't function without you."_

_Joey moved forward and hugged him. It seemed neither of them could. "Let's promise to help each other, but we need to look after each other, too. Okay?"_

_"Okay."_

**_End Flashback_**

* * *

"I got sick because I'd spent so much time lookin' after Seto that I forgot about myself," Joey explained. "And he ended up doin' the same when I got sick and he took care of me. The connection we have probably looks unhealthy to an outsider, but we rely on each other. We help each other.

"We're…inseparable while still bein' separate people, I guess. Despite everythin'—the good, the bad, and the ugly—we love each other and we're happy."

Joey stepped away from his friends and made for the couch. He sat next to Seto and rested his head on the brunet's shoulder. The blond felt him taking deep breaths as he tried to pull himself together once again.

_Knock, knock, knock!_

Everyone turned to stare at the door. Suddenly, Yugi raced off toward it as if jolted into action. Opening the door, he was surprised to see Mai and Tea standing there. But what shocked him the most was seeing Serenity peering out from behind them.

"Is Joey here?" asked Mai.

Yugi nodded aggressively as he let them inside and led them to the living room. "Joey," he called out.

The blond raised his head. When he noticed Serenity, he stood. She dropped her bag and ran into her brother's arms, sobbing hard into his chest. Joey wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, tears coming to his own eyes. "Serenity, I missed ya so much," he murmured.

Seto watched the interaction intently as realization struck him. He needed better control over his temper. He understood that Joey might get into danger from time to time, but the blond wasn't the only one he had to live for in his life anymore. There was also Mokuba…and Serenity. Why hadn't he realized it sooner? If something bad did happen to Joey, he couldn't just call it quits; he had them to think about.

Standing from his spot on the couch, Seto moved toward Joey and Serenity just in time for the young girl to start speaking.

"Mom kicked me out because I wanted to see you. I can't go back. She told me to never come back," she cried, clutching her brother even tighter. Joey tensed at this news, but Seto put a hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"It's going to be fine," said Seto, lightly patting her on the back.

"You'll just stay with us from now on," added Joey. "The four of us. You, me, Seto, and Mokuba. We'll take care of ya, okay? And if ya want, I'll talk to Mom."

Serenity shook her head. "I don't want anything to do with her. At least not now," she replied as she continued hugging Joey. "I missed you so much, Joey."

"I know. And I'm so sorry for that."

* * *

Joey was furious. He'd just finished speaking with his mother on the phone, and he'd demanded to know why she'd treated Serenity the way she had. His mother had responded by saying that Serenity was no daughter of hers if she consorted with the likes of Joey. And with that, she'd hung up.

However, that wasn't the only thing that had his insides twisted into knots. Pegasus was up to something. He knew it. Although he wasn't quite sure what it was, he could definitely sense there was some unspoken challenge between them. And he'd be damned if he's lose.

Two could play at the game Pegasus hatched. Joey knew he had somehow been behind the whole Gozaburo thing, not to mention that episode with Keith. If Pegasus wanted to torment Seto, he'd picked the wrong person; no one messed with the people Joey cared about. It was time to get even.

Joey turned his attention back to the duel at hand. Rex and Weevil were currently up and it was the bug-guy's turn.

"I activate Degenerate Cirucit," cackled Weevil enthusiastically. "I also activate Soul Absortion. Next I activate Compulsory Evacuation Device and target Jirai Gumo. Now I activate Ring of Destruction and target Fiend Megacyber. Finally, I activate Return from a Different Dimension, returning Jirai Gumo and Goblin Attack Force, leaving you open for my full-out attack!"

Joey felt Seto come up behind him, arms wrapping around his waist as the brunet kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Where are Mokuba and Serenity?" Joey asked.

"They're checking out the toy vendors. I gave them some money to pick out what they wanted. Serenity's looking better, too," said Seto.

The blond nodded but remained tense.

"What's wrong?" inquired the brunet.

"Nothin'."

"Tell me what's bothering you."

Joey sighed and leaned back into Seto's embrace. "I think Pegasus is behind the stuff that's been happenin' lately."

"It's quite possible. We're not exactly friends."

"More like enemies," Joey muttered under his breath. "I wanna teach him a lesson."

"As in retaliate for his actions?" Seto asked as he turned the blond around so they could face each other. When Joey nodded, he frowned. "I don't think that's wise."

"Keith tried to hurt me. Pegasus told him to do it."

"You don't know that for sure," insisted Seto.

Joey huffed in response. "Pegasus isn't the only one with sources."

"I'm starting to think I created a monster."

"Hey, you're the one who taught me how to play it smart with laying low. Don't get mad just because I wanna fight fire with fire."

"I'm not mad," Seto reassured him. "I'm concerned. If you're set on this, I know I can't stop you. No matter what I say, it won't penetrate that thick skull of yours."

"Watch it!"

"But remember this," Seto cautioned, "he's been playing these games for much longer than you. Pegasus knows what he's doing. Anyone in the business world does. And you need to be prepared for the consequences when they arise. Do you understand?"

"I understand. I was taught by the best, after all."

"Fine," replied Seto, looking unsure. "Then do what you have to do. Just remember that there are always consequences to your actions. It's not something you can take back."

"I know that," Joey stated seriously. "Seto?"

"Yes."

"Why are ya lettin' me take charge of this?"

Seto took a deep breath as he thought over his answer. "Because you know when to stop. I don't. If things get out of hand, you'll put an end to it and back off. I wouldn't. I'd keep on going until there's nothing left. You have control, whereas I don't."

"Yeah," Joey sighed as his thoughts began to plague him. "Don't get mad. Get even."

"Exactly."

* * *

**End Chapter**


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